Rocky Mountain Retreat
by Stargate Fan
Summary: Part Two of The Survivor's series but can stand alone. Daniel and Vala are featured here. Note: The characters aren't mine. Please review!
1. A Home Like No Other

This is the sequel to "Canceled" but it can stand alone. Please read and review. Note: The characters aren't mine.

Chapter 1. A Home Like No Other

About 2 months after the big party at the SGC, Daniel sent out invitations to each of his team members with specific instructions to meet him at a certain location and to plan on staying a few days. It was early July and they were all on leave for two weeks and grateful for the much needed rest.

Jack had taken some time off as well after meeting with General Landry, so he had his bags packed and was ready to go. They met at the base and all piled into Teal'c's SUV and Sam read the directions to Teal'c as he drove. About 30 minutes later, they headed down a dirt road heading west. They came around a curve in the pines and everyone gasped. In front of them, sitting in a clearing, was a very large house. It was two story, made of logs and spread out before them looking like something on a picture postcard.

"What is this place? Did Daniel reserve us rooms here for vacation?" Cam was impressed with the size of the place and the generosity of his friend.

They pulled up near the steps leading to a porch that ran the length of the front of the building with an overhanging roof. Wooden rocking chairs added country charm and a cat was curled up on the seat of one. As they were getting out of the vehicle, the front door opened and Daniel walked out, accompanied by a large black lab named "Tut."

He was dressed in a blue plaid shirt and jeans and said, "Hey guys! I see you found it."

Sam said, "Daniel, did you reserve rooms for us here?"

"You could say that. This is my new home. Welcome."

"What? You own this?" Jack looked around and couldn't believe his eyes. This place was gigantic. "When did you do this?"

"Remember when you guys stayed at my place after 'The Simpson's' party? I looked around that place after you left and decided that I wanted something bigger and better. So, I started looking around and I found this."

"You've got to be kidding!" Cam was really impressed, now. "I didn't know you could afford something like this."

"Hey, he makes more than we do," Jack smiled.

"He does?"

"Okay, okay, that's enough." Daniel laughed. "Come on in. I have enough rooms for each one of you and we've got plenty of space to relax." Daniel led them all inside and they were in awe of the place. The front door opened into a foyer with blue slate floors and large closets to hold coats and other winter gear. Beyond the foyer was a very large great room with a vaulted ceiling. There was a fireplace made out of sandstone on the right wall. On the mantle above it were pictures of SG-1 in different settings. Daniel had used his digital camera over the years to take pictures of virtually everything, so he had a lot of great shots of his team. And above the mantle hung two claymores and a large shield. The sofas and couches grouped around the fireplace were covered in denim and there were tables with lamps interspersed around them. A large glass square coffee table sat in the center of the grouping. A railing led around the upper part of the room and there was a hallway up there that led to other rooms.

To the left of the front door was a large dining room with enough chairs to seat at least 10 people. The table was of Ponderosa Pine and was glossy to the touch and there was dark green carpeting on the floor.

On the other side of the dining room was a kitchen that looked like something out of 'Country Living' magazine. Chrome and pine were the main features and it was fully stocked. A large kitchen table and chairs adorned the end of the room in a less formal setting. The cabinets were made of oak and the two sinks by the window and the one in the island were stainless steel.

Behind the kitchen was a large sun room made completely of glass. It had live house plants, including small trees and ceiling fans moved the air. Lights hung from high wooden beams and braided rugs covered the slate stone floor. A fireplace was ensconced in the corner and wicker furniture with soft cushions were scattered around the room.

Off to the right was a spacious lounge that held a baby grand piano and a pool table. A bar was set along one wall and there were leather sofas and chairs set in groupings. Framed prints of mountain landscapes hung on the walls and the walls were knotty pine.

Daniel's office was next to that, complete with all the gadgetry required for a 21st century man. He had the latest computer equipment made by Apple and his desk was made of cherry wood. The room was very masculine and there were some artifacts scattered about.

A large cedar deck surrounded the back of the house with a grilling deck off the kitchen. Tables with umbrellas and chairs were scattered throughout and potted flowering plants added a nice touch.

Beyond the office was a solid wood door that lead to a sauna and Olympic size pool. A door led outside where there was another heated pool to enjoy outdoors in nice weather. There were two whirlpool tubs, one inside and one outside. He led them around to the great room and they grabbed their luggage as they followed him upstairs to the bedroom suites. Each suite was large enough for a sitting room and a spacious bathroom and large walk-in closets.

Each bedroom was decorated in a different theme. Sam's room was done with an English cottage theme. They marveled at the detail and then followed Daniel down the hall to the next room on the right that was Teal'c room, done in a western cowboy theme. Jack's room had a fishing theme, of course. There was an assortment of fishing gear in Jack's closet. "There's a lake out back stocked with fish," Daniel told them. Cam's room had a hunter's theme with prints on the walls of hunting scenes. Vala's room was decorated in lighthouses and sea prints and the other room was done in a Navajo theme. The rooms followed around the outer perimeter of the upstairs with the railing that overlooked the great room and they each had their own balcony outside.

On the far end was Daniel's suite, which took up the whole western side of the top floor. Double doors led to a decorators paradise. It was all done in royal blue and gold with light sand colored walls. Royal blue area rugs covered the wood floors. A black obsidian fireplace was on one end of the room and above the mantle was a genuine Remington painting of a sea coast. The bedspread and pillows were royal blue with gold accents. A sofa, chair and table sat near patio doors that were covered with white cotton sheer draperies. Dark blue draperies could be closed for privacy and warmth. He had a private deck outside the patio doors with furniture on it. His bathroom was very large, with closets covered by mirrored doors along two opposite walls. A shower with glass walls was on one side and a royal blue sunken tub with gold fixtures was by a window. Blue and gold towels sat next to the tub with baskets filled with bath salts and other bath items. The commode and sinks were set in a completely different room that was just as luxurious.

They unpacked and agreed to meet in the sun room where Daniel, always the good host, had cold drinks set out for them. And then, as he knew would happen, the questions started.

Jack said, "Okay, Danny Boy, did you win the lottery, or something?"

"Yeah, Daniel. I don't want to be nosy, but his must have cost a fortune," Cam added.

"It did and no, I didn't win the lottery. Do you guys remember when you stayed at my place after The Simpson's' party? I do and the thing I remember most was how crowded we all were. That house was about 15 hundred square feet and it was stuffed to the rafters with all my artifacts and everything else I owned. I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted a place where I could breathe, so I started looking around. I saw the listing for this place and as soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted it. So, I sold some of the artifacts and bought this with cash. No mortgage. I have enough left over to pay the property taxes for a few years and enough to furnish the place. I had a decorator come in and before I knew it, it was finished and ready to move in. I hired some movers last week and here we are."

"But, Daniel, those were family heirlooms you sold!" Sam was stunned, _'Some of those artifacts had to have been priceless!'_

"I know. But, what good were they doing me? I still have a lot of artifacts scattered throughout this place and you probably didn't even notice because they're not under your nose. Plus, I leased some of the pieces out to museums so there's a steady income coming in from that. I didn't need the artifacts. I do need this. I think I got the better end of the deal."

"I gotta say, Daniel... I'm impressed." Jack really was and couldn't hardly believe how generous his friend was by inviting them here.

"Well, there's more. This place sits on 18 acres of mostly wooded land. There's the lake I told you about earlier plus hiking trails, although I haven't been on them, yet. I'm giving you each a key. Consider this your home away from home. Come out here any time you want.

Sam asked, "Are you serious? We can stay here when we want?"

"Yes, I'm very serious. The only stipulation I make is that you don't bring strangers out here unless you clear it with me, first. This is my home and I don't want any problems with people I don't know walking in and out of this place. There's a state-of-the-art security system here but you never know who might talk to their friends. Plus, there's national security reasons, too. I have documents in my files that might compromise the SGC if they were disclosed. Nothing really serious, mind you, but enough information that others might ask questions. They're locked in a special vault, but you never know."

"Why are you doing this?" Jack had a feeling he knew, but he wasn't sure.

"As you know... my parents died when I was 8 years old. I was in foster care after that and I never felt like I fit in. When I came back from Abydos, earth still didn't feel like home to me. My home was there. Then I spent the next few years searching for Sha're and then she died. It wasn't until after I descended that I realized that you are my family, as much as any blood relatives anyone would have. This is what I've always wanted... a large house full of family. Consider it yours."

They were all speechless and Sam got a bit teary eyed. Cam felt honored to be included since he didn't really know Daniel all that well. He'd grown to admire the man, but this was special. Teal'c stepped forward and he and Daniel grasped each others forearms in a salute and Teal'c said, "Daniel Jackson, you are a remarkable person. I am honored to call you 'brother.'"

"Thanks, Teal'c." They smiled at each other and then Teal'c nodded and stepped back.

Jack thought, _'Yup, it's just like I figured. He wants us to know we're family to him.'_ He asked, "Daniel, just how big is this place?"

"Just over 7,000 square feet," Daniel said.

Jack whistled and looked around. "You did good, Danny!'

Daniel smiled and then said, "Okay, who's hungry? I plan on grilling out some fresh trout and would be thrilled if you'd all join me in the kitchen."

They followed him in and set about fixing dinner. Jack and Teal'c were in charge of the gas grill and went to work on the trout. Daniel had already put potatoes in the oven so they were ready and Sam and Vala put a salad together. Cam went to the wine rack and picked out a couple of white wines that would compliment the meal. He got the glasses out and opened the bottles to let them breathe. Daniel got out the dinnerware and set the kitchen table. A royal blue table cloth and white linen napkins graced fine silver, white china and crystal wine glasses and a short blue candle sat in the center of the table.

He started a pot of coffee for after dinner and finished the final touches on dessert, which was fresh berries with whipped cream, onto which he was sprinkling shaved dark chocolate curls.

When the salad was done and the fish ready, they took their seats and Cam said 'grace.' Then, they all passed the platters around and settled in for a fine dinner and finer company. The wine was perfect and the dessert and coffee complimented the meal so that everyone was quite satisfied when they were finished.

After the meal, Daniel said, "Sam, why don't you take Vala over to the lounge and show her how to play pool, while the men do the clean up?"

She looked at Vala and they both grinned. They set off for the other room and the guys proceeded to clear the table.

Teal'c said, "Daniel Jackson, do you have an automatic dishwasher?"

"Yes, I do. In fact, I have two."

Jack just looked at Daniel and grinned. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

"I tried. I thought we could use one for the glasses and cups and one for the pots and pans and stuff like that." Daniel smiled at his friends and said, "That way we don't have to spend a lot of time cleaning up." They hand washed and dried the china and put it away in the hutch by the table.

They all agreed it was the best plan and before they knew it, they were all in the lounge relaxing. Daniel sat at the piano and played a few songs while the others played pool. Teal'c sat in an easy chair by the window petting Tut and watched as Cam and Jack paired off against Sam and Vala.

Later, Daniel decided to take Tut out for one more time before bed and Vala joined him while Teal'c took her place at the pool table.

"Daniel, this place is glorious! I'm so glad you invited me to come along."

"I'm glad I did, too." Daniel smiled and then turned to keep an eye on Tut. Vala didn't know it but she was getting to him. He hadn't said anything and barely looked at her all evening, but he'd smiled when she laughed about something and realized that they'd grown closer since she'd started working with him. _'I'm gonna take this slow. I don't think we need to rush anything and I'd like to be friends with Vala first, and then see what happens.'_

They walked quietly and when they got far enough away from the lights in the house, they looked up at the stars. He pointed out some of the constellations to her. He watched her face in the starlight and thought, _'Oh boy, is she beautiful!'_ She looked at him and smiled and then they called Tut and headed back in.

It was late when they all decided to call it a night. They followed Daniel upstairs and said their 'good nights' in the hallway. Sam gave Daniel a hug and said her thanks. He hugged her back and said he was glad she was there. She went to her room and shut the door. They guys each went to their rooms and then Vala said her 'good night,' and he gave her hand as squeeze and kissed her cheek, before she went to her room. He stood in the hall for a minute and thought, _'This night was perfect!'_

He closed his bedroom door behind him and Tut settled down on his dog bed while Daniel took a hot shower. Climbing into his bed, he looked at the clock and noted that it was just after midnight. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and the house settled into the quiet night.


	2. A Morning Stroll

Chapter 2. A Morning Stroll

Vala woke up around 5 the next morning, slipped on her robe and then padded quietly down to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. After she put on her canvas sneakers she poured herself a mug and opened the patio door and went out onto the back cedar deck. It was very peaceful out and the sky was the dark blue color it gets right before dawn. You could see stars everywhere and there was a cool breeze. The dry Colorado air felt good and held a scent of pine from the trees behind the house. Pike's Peak was seen towering over the region and the pre-dawn sky was just starting to lighten the summit where there was still some snow that hadn't melted off. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

She found an Adirondack chair with a cat curled up on it. Jasper was a Calico that had adopted Daniel soon after he'd moved there. She was a good mouser and a great companion. She never came inside so he didn't have to worry about taking care of her when he was gone off world. Vala settled into the chair with the cat on her lap and slowly sipped her coffee. She sighed with contentment and the peacefulness of the place. This was something she treasured. She rarely had quite time to herself and had learned to take advantage of it whenever it made itself available.

_'Okay, so what's going on with Daniel?' _she wondered. _'First, he acts like he hates me. Then he flirts with me, although I don't trust what happened in the infirmary when we almost kissed. He was drugged so maybe that's all it was. But, I've noticed a few times at work where he was watching me when he thought I didn't know. Last night, he kissed my cheek. He didn't kiss Sam's cheek so does that mean anything? Is this normal, this confusion over a man? I wish my mother was around to ask. If she hadn't died...' _It was still hard for her, after all the years. Then she realized how silly she was._ 'I've been all over the galaxy. I've survived unmentionable horror, and here I sit, wanting my mother.' _

About 20 minutes later, the door slid open quietly and Daniel stepped out, dressed in his pajamas and a light blue robe and loafers. The light from the hood fan gave off just enough illumination to see that he held up the coffee pot and gave her an inquisitive look. She nodded and held out her mug while he poured and then watched as he went back inside, turned off the light, and then returned. He held out an afghan and placed it over her legs. Then he sat in the chair next to hers and took a sip of his coffee. She noticed that his hair was a bit messy and he was wearing a pair of his old eye glasses but he looked handsome just the same.

"I came down to make some coffee and look what I find? Some nice lady already did it.' He smiled at her but noticed she wasn't smiling back.

As they sat in the dark, he reached over and linked his pinkie finger with hers and said, "Are you okay, Vala?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She was glad for the dark to hide in.

"I just wondered. You usually smile when I try to joke around? No smiles this morning?"

Vala didn't say anything. She seemed to be in her own little world and he wasn't sure what to do.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He was concerned that she'd been hurt by something or someone and was worried about her.

"Nothing, really. I was just wondering how things would be different if my mother was around to ask questions. It's silly."

Daniel didn't say anything at first. He knew exactly how she felt. "It's not silly. Believe me, I know."

Vala's hand few to her mouth and she was so upset with herself because she had awakened memories for Daniel that must have been painful. "Oh, I'm sorry. Here I am, sitting here feeling sorry for myself, and you've been through this. I'm sorry to remind you of it."

"No, it's alright. So, do you want to talk about what happened to your mom?" His face grew serious as he watched her reaction to his question.

Vala's took a deep breath and then looked at their linked fingers. "Well, mother was sick for a long time. She grew ill after having a miscarriage. One of many, actually. She died and soon after, father met my stepmother Adria. She was a widow and had 4 children of her own. They seemed to have a lot in common and before I knew it, they were married. Adria and I didn't get along and it didn't take long before my father was beating me. He blamed me for all the fighting between me and my stepbrother and stepsisters. I can still remember the smell of alcohol on his breath."

Daniel sat sideways on his chair, put his mug down on the table and took her hand. "I'm sorry." He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Really."

He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb and then said, "I have an idea... Want to take a walk?" Daniel hoped she'd say 'yes' and had an eager look in his eyes.

That made Vala laugh and she said, "Okay, where?"

"There's a path that leads back into the trees. Sometimes, on mornings like this, I walk to a clearing back there and usually there's a few mule deer around. Sometimes a small herd of elk."

"I don't know what mule deer and elk are but it sounds lovely."

He smiled as he took her cup from her and set it down. Then he took her hand and helped her out of her chair and led her down the steps and across the lawn.

"I'm glad to see you have shoes on or I would have had you go in and get a pair. Prickly Pear cacti are everywhere out here."

"You'll have to show me what it looks like." Vala smiled as she held his hand and they walked.

It was still quite dark out as they neared the trees, and he said, "We have to be quiet. Deer and Elk have excellent hearing and we'll chase them off before we get close if we make any noise."

They slipped quietly into the trees and followed the well-worn path through the woods. When they came near the clearing, Daniel stopped and pulled her behind some pine trees. He stood behind her and pointed over her shoulder, across the opening in the trees to show her half a dozen does and 4 fawns. The grazing mule deer were flapping their ears back and forth and wagging their tails. The fawns were hopping around and not one of them noticed the two humans watching them. Suddenly, a loud squealing noise was blasting through the air and Vala jumped in surprise. She looked up at Daniel and he smiled and put his finger over her lips, motioning for her to stay quiet. Then he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, leaned her against him and whispered quietly in here ear, "Look over to the left." A group of four elk walked majestically into the clearing. She placed both hands on his as they watched the bull lift his head up and 'bugle' again and Vala was sure she'd never seen anything so beautiful in her whole life. The elk's antlers touched his back as he bugled one more time. They stayed on the far side of the clearing and started to graze. After a few minutes, Daniel took her hand and motioned for her to follow him and they started back the way they came.

As they got to the edge of his back yard, she said, "Daniel, that was fantastic! I've never seen anything like that! Thank you for showing them to me."

He just smiled and put his arm around her as they walked back towards the house. The lights were still out so it looked like everyone else was still sleeping. They went around the side to the front and he held her hand as they walked down the road. The nearest house was a few miles east and he lived at the end of a dead end dirt road so there wasn't any traffic. It was peaceful and they watched the stars grow dim as the sun started to crest the horizon to their right. The elevation made for a view to the east that seemed to go on and on forever. The sun was just peaking over the edge of the earth and shooting the few clouds that were up there with deep reds and golds with a little purple thrown in for good measure.

She had her left arm wrapped around his waist and seemed comfortable. _'This is very strange,'_ she thought. _'It's like we've both changed over night. I never would have imagined walking down the road with my arm around him, before. Now, it feels right.'_

About a mile down the road he looked down at her and said, "Ready to turn back?"

"No. Do we have to?" She rested her head on his chest and held on. His skin above the V-neck T-shirt was warm and he smelled so good. He had his own scent that reminded her of the desert. Like juniper, maybe.

He laughed, "No, not if you don't want to. We can go on a little further, if you like."

"I like."

They didn't move. He rested his head on top of hers and they were content to just stand there with their arms around each other and watch the sun come up. Then they turned and walked farther down the road. After about another half mile, they decided to turn back toward the house. Looking up, they noticed a eagle flying high overhead.

She sighed and said, "I don't know how you can stand to leave this place every day and go into Cheyenne Mountain. It's just wonderful out here!"

"This makes it all worth it. I can hardly wait to come home, now. I'm even thinking of buying the property that's just north of here. It would be another adjoining 20 acres, but that way I wouldn't have to worry about anyone building a subdivision back there. When I lived in town, it was never like this. It was all noise and traffic and too much city. Occasionally, one of the Air Force jets coming out of Peterson flies over but it's mostly quiet here. It's my own little piece of heaven. I love the view of the mountains. Look how far they go to both the north and south. They march on as far as the eye can see."

"If those are the mountains, what is this area we're at?"

"Foothills. I guess back east they would say these foothills are mountains. They have mountains but not like these."

Then he thought about who he was holding in his arms and thought _'I can't believe that I'm standing here holding Vala like this. I must be dreaming.'_ He looked down at her and watched her as she looked up at the eagle flying. The breeze was gently lifting her hair around her face and her smile was just a wonder to behold.

She looked up and saw him watching her and smiled back. He leaned in and kissed her lightly and then stopped to gage her reaction. She had a very serious look in her eyes but then she smiled and placed her hand on his jaw line and they met in a warm kiss. It wasn't extremely passionate, but it was good and they both had butterflies the whole time.

"Daniel, that was nice but I'm confused."

"Yeah, well... so am I. I didn't plan that ahead of time. Are you okay with it?"

She didn't say anything at first and that got him worried.

"I'm okay with it but I think we need to talk. You seem different and I'm not sure why."

"I'm not sure why, either. I guess maybe it's the setting or something, but I can't seem to help seeing you in a different way."

"I'm scared, Daniel. I don't trust myself and I loved that kiss, but I don't know where it might lead.

"It doesn't have to lead anywhere that you're not comfortable with." He brushed his thumb across her cheek. "We don't have to rush or do anything. I shouldn't have done it, I guess." He looked away as if he was upset with himself.

She noticed his discomfort and said, "No, no. It was very nice. But, I don't want to rush." She didn't want to hurt him, but she really was unsure of herself. She'd kissed him on the 'Prometheus' and even though they were fighting at the time, she remembered how turned on she'd gotten. And, she'd imagined him initiating a kiss with her, but now that it had happened, her world felt off it's axis.

"Okay. Let's just take it really slow. If I do anything that scares you, I want you to tell me. Okay?"

"Okay."

He smiled and then turned, took her hand and they started back. They got almost back to the house when she let out a cry and grabbed her foot. "Oh, Daniel. I think I stepped on something."

He looked down at her foot and said, "Yup, you did. It's a cactus. Not a prickly pear but something with larger spines. I don't recognize it. Here, sit on this boulder and I'll pull the spines out." He reached down and checked the bottom of her shoe and found that the spines had gone right through the canvas next to the heel. He kicked the remains of the plant off the side of the road and said, "I'm going to have to take your shoe off and it might hurt."

"Go ahead." Vala gritted her teeth as he knelt down, untied the shoe and started to pull it off. When he removed it, he noticed that a few of the spines were in deep.

"I think we'll have to do this back at the house. I'll get the tweezers out and take a better look at it there." Daniel said. "Can you walk if you lean on me and hop?"

"I'll try." And, she did but she didn't get far before she had to stop.

"Okay, let's try this my way," Daniel said as he scooped her up in his arms and walked that last 30 yds. to the steps leading up to the back deck. He sat her down in her chair and went inside to get the things he needed to take care of her injury. In a few moments, he had a pan of very warm water for her to put her foot in, some tweezers, drawing salve and bandages. He set her foot in the water and then held her hand. "Are you okay?"

"Daniel, it's not the end of the world. I'll be fine. And I did think it was quite romantic of you to carry me back. In fact, the whole walk was very romantic, until I stepped on that cactus."

Daniel had to agree. "I know. It was nice, wasn't it?"

"Daniel, I'm seeing a different side of you again. You're always so big and brave and self assured. Last night, you were really funny. Some of the things you said made me laugh so hard. And this morning, you're very romantic. I'm about to wonder 'Who are you and what did you do with my Daniel?'

Daniel laughed. "I'm right here, Vala. I'm not going anywhere." He smiled at her and she smiled back.

'_Oh yes,'_ she thought, _'I could definitely grow to get used to him like this. I just wish I could be sure.'_

He helped get the spines out of her foot and then applied the salve and the bandages. Then he covered her with the afghan and went and got them both some fresh coffee and her some Tylenol.

That's how the others found them when they got out of bed and came down to the kitchen. Jack noticed them on the deck first and said to Sam, "They look like an old married couple."

Sam knew how Vala felt about Daniel. They had talked for a little bit the night of the party before turning off the lights in their room. Vala sat on her twin bed and opened up her heart. Sam knew that she was being cautious but had finally decided to trust Sam with how she felt about him. Sam just smiled. She wasn't about to tell Jack or anyone else what Vala had told her. And, she was glad to see that Daniel had finally let his guard down and was sitting out on the deck holding Vala's hand and chatting quietly. They looked good together. If she could, she would do whatever it took to make sure that nothing endangered this new budding romance. Vala and Daniel deserved some happiness after what they'd both gone through in their lives. _'It's about time,'_ she thought.

0 0 0

Jack slid open the patio door and let Sam go ahead of him while Teal'c followed. They each had their coffee and Teal'c brought the pot out with him to refill Daniel and Vala's mugs.

Sam noticed that Vala's foot was bandaged and asked what happened.

"I stepped on a cactus. Daniel fixed it so it's alright." She looked towards the door. "Isn't Cameron up yet?"

Jack said, "I haven't heard him. I guess he's sleeping in. What time did you two get up?"

Daniel looked at Vala and said, "She was already up when I came down a little after 5."

"I got out of bed and came down to make coffee. I guess my internal clock woke me up."

"Did Danny get you hooked on that stuff? You two work in the same office so now you're an addict, too?"

Vala just smiled and said, "I never had coffee until I came to your planet, Sir. I like it."

"Drop the 'sir,' stuff. We're on vacation here, okay?" Jack smiled.

"Right!" Vala smiled and asked Daniel, "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Whatever you want. I didn't make plans. There's a stable not to far from here if anyone wants to go horse back riding and I can look up the phone number for you if you want to see about it. There's fishing and hiking, although I think _you_ might not want to do that today, Vala."

"You're probably right. I think I'll just hang around the house today."

"Well, I know what I'm going to do," Jack said.

"Let me guess," Sam said, "Does it have anything to do with fishing lures?"

"See, that's what I like about you, Carter. You're quick!" Jack grinned and then turned and headed towards his room.

Sam said, "Anyone want to go horse back riding with me? Teal'c?"

"I have never ridden an equine but I believe I would like to try."

"Good, It's just going on 0800 so I'll wait a little bit and then I'll call. Daniel, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure, yet. Maybe go swimming. Vala, did you bring a swim suit?"

"Yes, Daniel but I don't know how to swim."

"Then it's time you learn. And, it won't hurt your foot."

Cam walked out onto the deck with a glass of orange juice and looked around at everyone. "Am I the last one up?" He had showered, shaved and was dressed in blue jeans and a black golf shirt and looked very rested.

"Yeah, Lazy Bones. We're just trying to decide what we want to do." Sam explained what the plans were and Cam decided to join Jack at the lake. He went back upstairs and soon he and Jack were headed down the road in a golf cart with all their fishing gear, a thermos full of coffee, mugs, and some granola bars for breakfast.

Teal'c and Sam went into the kitchen and made toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast. The four of them sat out on the deck at a table with an umbrella opened above them. After cleaning up in the kitchen, Sam went into the lounge to call the stable and then came back out a few minutes later and told Teal'c they had a date at the ranch and they left.

"Vala, get your suit on and meet me at the pool. Can you walk?"

She stood up and noticed that her foot felt fine. "Yes, I can." She smiled and they both headed for their rooms.

Before long they were both poolside. Daniel, dressed in black swim trunks, walked over to the deep end and dove in. Vala was still standing on the other end by the steps leading down into the water. She had a one piece red suit that fit her perfectly and Daniel thought she looked fantastic. He swam underwater to her end and came up right in front of her.

"Are you afraid? You don't have to be. I'll make sure nothing bad happens."

"I'm not afraid, Daniel. I'm just cautious." Actually, the sight of a tanned, 6 foot tall, handsome, well built Daniel standing in front of her, dripping wet, with barely anything on, almost took her breath away.

"That's good. Nothing wrong with being cautious. Now, come on, get in. It's not cold." Daniel held out his hand towards her and she took it and stepped in.

"It is too, cold!" She really thought it was a bit chilly.

"Get in and you'll get used to it. I promise."

She stepped down until she was at the same level as him, which was mid thigh deep. He slowly led her along the wall out to the deeper water until she was in up to her shoulders as she hung onto the wall. She was very nervous but she trusted him and didn't panic.

"Okay, how does it feel?" Daniel didn't want to frighten her and he did want her to have fun.

"Actually, this isn't so bad. The water _is_ warm, like you said."

"Okay, the first thing I'm going to teach you is how to blow bubbles."

"I know how to blow bubbles, Daniel."

"Trust me, okay? This is a little different."

They took their time and soon she could hold her breath and go underwater without panicking.

By lunch time, he'd taught her the basics but by then she was tired. He told her they could stop and they got out. He led her over to the whirlpool and turned the timer and they got in and relaxed. The jets felt good and the water temperature was hot but not uncomfortably so.

"You did good, Vala. I know it was a bit frightening, but I'm proud of the way you weren't daunted by it."

"Thanks. It was fun. You're a good teacher."

He just smiled and after about 20 minutes of light conversation, they got out and Vala sat in a chair and dried off but Daniel jumped back into the pool. He swam back and forth a few times and then climbed out. After he dried off, he walked her back to her room and said he'd meet her in the kitchen for lunch, when she was ready to come down.

She was exhausted. Learning how to swim was a tiring process and even though she'd had fun, she was glad to quit. She hadn't had the heart to tell Daniel that she wanted to stop. He was having so much fun and he was so patient with her. She took a shower, dried her hair and then got dressed in white slacks and a blue and white striped short sleeved shirt. She laid back on the bed and was thinking about how nice it was there when she dozed off.

Meanwhile, Daniel had gotten showered and dressed in his blue jeans and a white T-shirt and was down in the kitchen putting together some lunch. He noticed that it was taking Vala a while to come down and he started to get worried. He left the fixings for the sandwiches on the counter and headed up the stairs. After gently knocking on her door and not receiving an answer, he carefully opened it and peeked inside. There was Vala, sound asleep on top of her bedspread. _'She must be really tired,' _he thought. _ 'She never let on, though. I must have pushed her too hard.'_ He felt bad about that and wondered why she hadn't said anything. He quietly closed the door and went back down to the kitchen and started making a pot of homemade soup.

Sam and Teal'c returned about an hour later and Jack and Cam drove up in their golf cart and they were busy telling him about their morning. Sam noticed that Vala was missing but Daniel reassured her that Vala was fine and she was just taking a nap.

Jack said, "What'd you do, Daniel? Wear the poor girl out?" Daniel blushed and didn't know what to say but he heard Vala say, "No, he didn't wear me out, Jack. We had a wonderful time and now I know how to swim. A little."

Daniel looked up when he heard Vala and smiled at her when she was done talking. _'She had a good time? That's great!'_

"Anyone hungry? I made some chicken soup and there's stuff to make sandwiches."

They got the table set and all talked almost non stop about their adventures. Jack claimed he caught a huge fish and he was holding his hands far apart but Cam came up behind his chair and used his thumb and index finger to show them that it was a really tiny fish. Everyone started laughing and when Daniel looked around at all his friends, he was glad that they'd come.

They decided to watch a movie that afternoon that Daniel had rented. Jack asked him which one it was and Daniel said, "Serenity."

"Not a scifi flick! You know I don't like scifi."

"Jack, stop complaining. If you're a good boy, we'll watch 'The Simpson's' tonight," Sam said. "Besides, I've seen the movie and it's pretty good."

"Okay, okay. I'll behave and let you watch your movie. But, you owe me one, Daniel."

They got quiet and settled in to watch the film. When the movie ended, they noticed that Daniel had fallen asleep on the couch he was on with a sleeping Vala snuggled close to his side.

Sam whispered to Jack, "Should we wake them?"

"Nah, they were up really early after a late night. They must both be tired after the swim lesson. Let's just leave them alone. Let's go over to the lounge and play some pool. They'll get up in a bit and then we can all go out for dinner later. My treat."

They quietly left the room and left the lovebirds alone.


	3. Purple Mountain's Majesty

Chapter 3. Purple Mountain's Majesty

Daniel became aware that he was laying on the couch and that someone was almost on top of him. His arm was wrapped around that 'someone' and he was confused. Then he remembered that they had been watching a movie but that's all he could remember.

He glanced down and saw that Vala was asleep in his arms. _'Oh boy, how did this happen?'_ She started to stir as he moved to make himself more comfortable and opened her eyes to see him watching her.

"Hey," he said quietly.

She sat up on the edge of the couch, placed her left hand on his chest and looked around. "Where'd everyone go?"

"I don't know." He smiled at her and pulled her back down next to him. "They're probably not too far off. Did you have a nice nap?"

"Mmm Hmm. You're good to snuggle with."

"Sorry I fell asleep."

"It's alright, Daniel. I did, too. I guess staying up so late, getting up early, and then swimming all morning wore us out."

She felt good. His arm was wrapped around her back and it was nice just to lay there together.

The double glass doors to the lounge opened and they saw Jack look at them and then look back to the others and say, "Yup, they're awake." He stepped into the room and said, "I'm taking us all out to dinner tonight, whenever everyone feels hungry. You game?"

Daniel and Vala sat up and both said 'yes.' Daniel said, "Any place in particular you want to go?"

"Nothing fancy, I hope," Sam said as she came into the room with Teal'c and Cameron. "I didn't bring dressy clothes."

"How about the Thai place south of town? Their food is pretty good and we can go casual."

They all agreed and soon they were all piled into Teal'c's SUV and Daniel's Jeep.

Dinner was great and they decided to go for a walk afterwards and they watched the sun go behind the mountains.

After they got back to the house, they all decided to spend some time around the pool. Daniel turned the lights down and they all splashed and had fun. Tut wanted to get in with them, but Daniel said his shed fur would be hell on the filtration system, so the dog stayed off to the side.

Jack asked, "What are you going to do with him when you're at work?"

"I've been leaving him at a kennel and they take good care of him."

"I didn't even know you had a dog," Sam said.

"Well, I adopted him from the shelter about a month ago. The previous owner had children that grew allergic to him. He's great with kids and a good watch dog."

"Speaking of work, I got a call from the Joint Chiefs. I didn't want to say anything yet, but I have to get back to the Pentagon in the morning." Jack was disappointed that he had to go.

"That's too bad, Jack. I was hoping you could stay a few more days."

"Well, your birthday is Saturday so I'll try to make it back by then and we can do something."

"I won't be able to be here," Sam said. "I'm expected at my brother's tomorrow night. They asked me to come out a while ago and I made reservations before I knew about this. I'm sorry, Daniel."

"It's okay. I'll give you all your keys before you go. You can come back any time you like." Daniel was disappointed that they would be gone but he understood. "Cam, are you staying?"

"Well..."

"It's okay, Cam. I know I sprang this on you and I probably should have said something before."

"Daniel, this was great. Nobody's upset with you. I think it's very generous of you to get this place with us in mind." Sam smiled to reassure him.

"I'm glad you like it. And I mean what I said. You're all welcome any time."

They left the pool and headed back towards their rooms. Everyone said good night and went inside, except Vala. Daniel pulled her close for a kiss and then rested his forehead against hers. "Was that okay?"

"Yes, very okay." She smiled and then went into her room.

Daniel stood there for a few moments watching her door, and then turned and went off to his own room. _'We definitely need to talk.'_

0 0 0

Monday morning dawned sunny and clear. The forecast was for the temperatures to be in the 90's and they spent it around the outdoor pool until about 10. Then Jack went inside to get his bags. Teal'c had gotten a call from General Landry telling him that his presence was requested by Master Bra'tac so he had to head back to the mountain. They decided that it was probably a good time for them to all head back so they packed and met Daniel and Vala in the foyer. Jack and Teal'c went outside to load the luggage into the back of the SUV and then they all said their 'good bye's' on the front porch.

Daniel and Vala both waved as they watched them head down the dirt road towards town and then turned and went back inside. He shut the front door to the heat and they went and sat on the sofa in the sun room.

"Does it always get this hot out, Daniel?"

"No, it's just this way in the summer. By September, we could have snow on the ground. It's cooler up in the mountains on days like this. Now, there's an idea. Why don't we get some things together and head up into the mountains? I can show you some places that would leave you speechless."

"Trying to shut me up, are you?" Vala teased him as he sat next to her.

"Never. Come on. Let's go get ready. We'll take the Jeep. Would you like to camp out or stay some place?"

"We camp all the time when we're off world."

"Yeah, but that's work related. This would be relaxing. We could fish for trout and hike. I know of some caves we could explore."

They agreed to camp and soon had the Jeep packed up with a tent and all the gear they would need.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a little town west of here called, 'Cripple Creek' and it's a bit touristy but it's a nice place. We can get dinner there."

They followed the winding road up into the mountains and stopped at a turn off for a picnic lunch. It was a lot cooler and Vala was glad she packed some warmer clothes. Around 4 in the afternoon, they pulled into the town. Daniel had explained to her how the place used to be a mining town and had fallen on hard times until it was built up as a tourist site.

It was very charming and they had dinner in a small café that was crowded but the food was really good. Daniel asked the waitress about the campgrounds in the area and she said they were all nice but they were probably full. He got out the phone book and called a few places and found out that indeed, they were all full.

Vala asked, "What are we going to do? Should we head back to your place?"

Daniel thought about it for a few minutes and Vala could see that he was troubled.

"Daniel, it's okay. I don't mind going back."

He was disappointed. He hadn't even thought about the tourists and that the camp sites might all be taken.

The waitress came back to the table and said, "My sister runs a Bed and Breakfast. I just checked there and they just had a cancellation. I can have her save a room for you if you want but you have to decide now or the room will be gone."

"Vala, would that be okay? I know it's not what we planned, but we can see about a place to camp in the morning."

Vala knew what this meant. They would be spending the night in the same room. Well, this wasn't a whole not different than when they were off world and all slept close together.

"That'll be fine." She watched his face and noted a look of surprise but he agreed and the waitress gave him the phone number and told him to tell her sister who he was and that Linda sent them. He hung up and they left the café with the directions to the place.

Daniel pulled the Jeep into the small parking lot next to an old Victorian house. It was painted pink and purple, which was traditional and picturesque. They left the camping gear in the jeep, locked it up and then went inside to meet Cathy.

After registering at the desk, Cathy showed them to their room and gave them the key. She left and they set their things down and looked around the room.

Vala realized right away that she couldn't have been more wrong. This wasn't anything like camping with her team members off world. This was entirely different. One wall held a fireplace made of field stone. There was a clock on the mantle and a picture of a mountain lake on the wall above. The one queen sized bed was covered with a sea foam green bedspread and it was flanked on each side with walnut night stands. In the corner were two stuffed chairs and a table and lamp. The walls were ivory colored and the floor had an oriental rug.

She sat in the chair and looked around the room. "I didn't realize it would be like this, Daniel. It's small and cozy but not like I expected."

"Don't worry, I'll sleep on the floor." Daniel knew she was uncomfortable. Their relationship was better but neither one was ready to take it to this obvious conclusion.

"Don't be silly. We're both adults and can behave. We'll share the bed. We'll just sleep, right? Nothing wrong with that. I've slept next to you on missions plenty of times. This is no different."

Daniel admired her for her bravery but she couldn't be MORE wrong. This was very different and he knew she knew it, too.

They unpacked their things and he went into the bathroom to shower and change. She slipped on her pajamas and when he came out, she slipped in and brushed her teeth. Then she came back into the room and crawled into bed next to him. He turned off the light on the night table and they both laid there staring at the ceiling.

"Vala, I know you're nervous about this. Why don't we just talk. That might help us relax."

"What do you want to talk about, Daniel?"

"Well, I could tell you about one of the digs I was on. That might bore you enough to put you to sleep." He laughed and then she did.

"Okay, that sounds good."

He proceeded to tell her about one in Egypt. He kept his voice low and steady and soon he could tell she was asleep.

_'Thank you, God! This isn't at all what I had planned and though I'm tempted... really tempted... I don't want to do anything that might hurt her.' _ He turned on his side grateful that she'd fallen asleep so easily.

Vala wasn't asleep. She pretended so that he wouldn't feel nervous. If he believed she was asleep, then maybe he could go to sleep. She turned her back to him and stared at the wall. _'I can't believe I'm in the same bed with Daniel. I know women who would kill to be where I am. And look at us. Acting like two strangers. Oh, the unfairness of it all!'_

Daniel was pretty much thinking the same thing. _'She's a thief, a smuggler and a liar. And, beautiful, funny and caring. And I'm afraid to touch her.'_ He sighed.

Vala noticed the sigh and realized that he was still awake. She couldn't help but sigh herself and then Daniel realized _she_ was awake. They both turned towards each other and started laughing, quietly.

"We're being silly, aren't we?" Daniel said.

"Yes, I suppose we are."

He pulled her close to his side and kissed her. "Do you mind?"

"No, I don't. At all." She kissed him back.

They started to grow more passionate as the minutes wore on and then Daniel stopped. "Vala, you know where this is going, right? I just want you to be sure."

"I am."

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask. Are you on any kind of birth control? I don't do this kind of thing so I don't have any condoms."

Doctor Lam put me on something as soon as I joined the team. I've also been tested for any diseases and I'm clean."

"So am I."

All talking stopped a that point and it was much later before they fell asleep.

0 0 0

Early in the morning, Daniel woke up and found he was sleeping next to a gorgeous brunette and felt like laying there all day watching her sleep. Her face, when asleep, seemed to lose all the tension that she carried around with her all day. Her lashes were long and her lips full. He pulled himself up on his side, looked down on her sleeping form and swore he would do anything to not hurt her. She'd been through enough. He wasn't sure if last night had been the best thing for her, emotionally, but he hoped she'd have no regrets.

He pulled her close and fell back to sleep with her in his arms.

They both woke up about an hour later and Vala stretched like a cat. Daniel chuckled and said, "Morning.' He leaned over her and started nibbling on her ear.

"Morning, yourself. Sleep well?"

"Oh, yeah. You?"

"Never better."

She kissed him and it was quite a bit later before they got up and took a shower together. And later yet, before they were dressed and downstairs in the dining room having breakfast.

They took their luggage to the Jeep after they checked out and headed west up into the higher elevations. As they were driving along, Daniel pulled over to the side of the dirt road and said, "I can't believe I didn't think of this. A buddy of mine from graduate school bought some land up this way a few years ago. I wonder if he still owns it? Maybe he would let us camp on it.

"Do you know where it is?"

"No, not exactly. But, maybe I can get his number and call him." Daniel's satellite phone had been packed with their gear so he called information and got the number. Vala waited in the Jeep while he walked up the road and chatted. In a few minutes, he was back and said, "He lives about 2 hours from here. He gave me directions and said to come on up."

They made their way over some mountain passes and along some roads that were obviously not traveled on much. Vala's ears had been popping so Daniel gave her some gum to chew and took some himself. He pulled up to a Y in the road and stopped to look at the map. "According to Leon, we take the left and it's up a ways on the right."

In a few minutes, they pulled into a rutted dirt track and followed it over a hill. He stopped the Jeep and they got out and looked around. A large ranch style home was sitting against the mountain side and the view to the north was incredible. They were at about 10,000 feet up and the air was cool, and it was worth every bit of the drive.

The door to the ranch house opened and a man about Daniel's age came out with is two Irish Setters. The dogs barked at them but Leon told them to stop and they did. He walked out to the Jeep and shook Daniel's hand.

"Danny, where the hell have you been keeping yourself?" They hugged each other as men sometimes do, and then Daniel introduced Vala.

"Hey, I didn't know you were married."

Daniel blushed and said, "We're not."

Leon looked at Daniel and grinned. He said to Vala, "This old dog never could keep the chicks away from him." He shook her hand and said, "I'm glad to meet you. You'll both come in for lunch, won't you?"

Daniel looked at him and said "Yes, we'd be delighted."

Vala, for her part, wondered just what Leon had meant. _'Chicks? I assume that means women. Well, I can understand that. I've seen pictures of Daniel when he was younger and he was very handsome then, too.'_

Inside, they found Leon's wife Jenny and she showed them to the bathroom where they could wash up and then they sat down to eat. Jenny was a fine cook and she'd prepared a meal of roast venison with carrots, potatoes and onions. There was home made biscuits with honey and then coffee afterwards. They sat around the table and the guys got caught up a bit on what they'd been up to over the years.

"What have you been doing, Danny? I heard some things but you know how it goes. Rumors run rampant sometimes and they're rarely true."

"I'm a private contractor for the Air Force."

"You're military? I never thought I'd see the day! That doesn't seem like you. What happened?"

"I'm a civilian, Leon. I translate for them."

"What about you, Vala?"

"I work with the Air Force, too. In the same department with Daniel."

Leon asked her, "So, that's how you met?"

"Something like that," Daniel said.

After about 2 hours of chatting, Leon said, "If you follow me up in your jeep, I'll show you a place you can camp at. There's a cabin if the weather turns bad. There's bears up here so don't leave any food out. If you take proper precautions, you'll be fine. They're more afraid of you than you think. I've written down some things to remember but you should be fine. How many days are you planning on staying?" He handed a piece of paper to Daniel with the precautions on it.

"Three or four. We haven't decided. We have to be back to my place by Friday."

"Well, stay as long as you like. But, stop by the house before you leave so I know not to send up a search party."

They followed Leon up the dirt road behind the house and before long they were at the cabin.

"You can stay here or camp down by the creek. Either one is fine. There's running water in the cabin and a wood stove. Did you bring food along?"

"Yes. We're set."

"Okay, then. Remember to drink a lot of water. You can dehydrate really fast up here and water might help keep the headaches away if you get altitude sickness."

Leon shook hands with them both and headed back to his truck.

They looked around the cabin and decided that since they might have bears in the area, they would stay inside it. They unpacked their things and went out to sit on the steps.

"What do you think?" Daniel looked at Vala and pointed to the view.

"It's magnificent, Daniel. I've never been anywhere more beautiful. Is the whole planet like this?"

Daniel laughed quietly, "No, it's probably like most any of the places you've ever been. Rolling plains, deserts, wooded land, you name it. If you can imagine it, you'll find it some place on earth. How about we go fishing down at the creek?"

"What are bears, Daniel?"

"Big, hairy beasts that roar and can get really mean, but don't worry. I brought along a zat."

"Good, the only beast I want around is you."

"Is that right?" Daniel challenged her with a look. "Beast, huh?"

"Oh yes, not too hairy but you do roar, sometimes." Vala gave him a playful wink and he leaned over and kissed her.

"Come on. I'll get the fishing tackle. Can you carry the shovel? We'll dig for worms."

"Worms? Daniel, what are worms?"


	4. Retrospection

Chapter 4. Retrospection

Daniel showed Vala how to dig for bait and though she thought the little slimy things in the ground were interesting, she definitely didn't want to touch them.

"They're Icky. How can you stand handling those things?"

"It's not that bad, really. And it washes off." Daniel knew he could use tied flies but he wanted Vala to experience this the way he'd learned how. He knew fly fishing would be difficult for someone who'd never fished in her life. Vala sat quietly next to him along the river bank with the pole in her hand while he stood and cast his line repeatedly.

"What are you doing?" She watched the graceful arc of the line as it went through the air and touched the water. It was graceful and Daniel sure looked like he knew what he was doing. She liked watching him.

"I'm fly fishing," Daniel answered. "If I do this right, we'll have fresh fish for dinner."

"Didn't we have fish for dinner Saturday night?"

"Yes, but that fish was bought at a market. I'm trying to catch our dinner."

"Seems to me that the market was a whole lot easier."

"Yes, it would be, but it wouldn't be as much fun." Daniel continued to cast his line as she gave him a look that pretty much said, "FUN? You call this fun?"

Daniel yelled, "YES!" and pulled in a good sized trout. He measured it and determined that it was within legal limits and told Vala they could quit if she wanted to. She gladly helped him carry the poles and tackle box back to the cabin and he showed her how to clean a trout.

She was grossed out by it but continued to watch as he prepared it by spraying some tin foil with oil spray and placing the cleaned trout on the foil. He then went about adding onions, green peppers and sliced tomato, and then he wrapped it up and put it in the oven. He'd started the fire when they went in from fishing so it was warmed up and two potatoes were already wrapped in foil and roasting nicely.

"This won't take long." He went through the cooler he'd brought and pulled out some small yellow and green vegetables. He set the iron skillet on the stove top, put in about a tablespoon of olive oil and added sliced summer squash and zucchini and onion. He sprinkled that with a little oregano and it was done very quickly. Vala watched him and marveled that he could cook so well. He seemed very comfortable in front of the stove.

"Where did you learn to cook, Daniel?"

"Well, it was mostly by myself. Trial and error, well... a lot of error, but over time I figured it out. It's not hard." He put the skillet off to the side to stay warm and checked the oven "It's done." After unwrapping the fish and potatoes, he put a helping on each plate and then added the squash dish. He sprinkled some Parmesan cheese over the squash and took both plates over to the table.

Vala tasted the fish and potatoes (with butter and sour cream on them) and then tried the squash. Daniel watched her as he took a bite. Not everyone likes squash and he was prepared for a negative reaction. But, much to his surprise, Vala pronounced it "very good" and asked him what he called it.

"I don't have a name for it. It's just something I threw together one day as an experiment. I sometimes add browned hamburger to it."

"Well, I like it," Vala pronounced, as she took another bite. "And the fish is wonderful."

"I'm glad." Daniel was pleased that she wasn't afraid to try something new.

They finished their meal and cleaned up afterwards, he washed – she dried. Then he went over and started a fire in the hearth. He sat down in the big easy chair and pulled Vala sideways onto his lap. She laid her head on his shoulder and they both sighed contentedly.

"Vala, we should talk. Things between us are happening a bit faster than I thought they would. I'm not complaining, mind you, but I want to know what you think."

"Daniel, it's no secret that I've been attracted to you ever since we met and I beat you up."

"You tried."

"And succeeded." She smiled at him and he chuckled.

"Okay, you win," Daniel said. "It did take a few days for the bruises to disappear. I'm serious, though."

"So am I. I took one look at you after I zatted you and couldn't believe my good fortune. I had a prisoner who was probably the handsomest man I had seen in a long, long time."

Daniel knew he must be blushing but he pushed on, "Okay, let's get past the first encounter. When you contacted our off world base and said that you had an artifact that you needed help translating, and you asked for me specifically, I was surprised. How did you know I could help you?"

"When I lured the guard into my cell, I got his zat away from him and closed the door, leaving him in the cell. Then, I found a computer and uploaded everything I could into the Al-Kesh. It took a while for them to discover that I wasn't in my cell. Then I made my escape. Whenever I had time, I read everything I could. I found out all about you and when I came across that rock and finally got the cipher, I knew you were the one to contact."

"Very clever," Daniel was amused. "You're a very resourceful woman."

"I have to be. It's a man's universe. If a woman wants to succeed, she has to push her way around. I know now how that bothered you, but you have to realize, Darling, that it was the only way I could survive out there. I couldn't trust anyone! I had to cheat, connive... do whatever it took."

"I know that now," Daniel said. "But, at the time, I didn't understand. Since you've joined the SGC, you've been wonderful. And, I know it hasn't been easy."

"No, it hasn't, but I hope I've proved to you that I'm not as bad as you thought I was." Vala looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I never fit in anywhere before. I always felt out of place."

"Daniel knew that he completely understood what she was talking about. "I felt the same way, once. It wasn't until after I descended and got my memories back that I found peace."

"I'm not there, yet. But, I think it's on the horizon." Vala settled herself against his shoulder again and they both sat for a while, just watching the fire.

"I want to ask you something and I hope you won't be offended. Would you tell me about your wife?"

Daniel knew that question would eventually be asked but he never liked talking about what happened.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. How did you meet? How long were you married? What happened to her?"

Daniel sat quietly for a moment and thought about how to start. "This could take a while."

"We've got 3 or 4 days, Dear. It won't take that long, will it?" She ran her right hand up and down his left shoulder and said, "Is this too hard for you?"

"I've never really discussed it with anyone. Jack knows most of it, but I haven't told him the whole story, either." Daniel stared into the fire and smiled. "She was a gift."

"You're kidding me, right?" Vala couldn't imagine Daniel accepting a woman as a gift. He wasn't a user of women.

"Let me tell it." He settled her more comfortably against himself and proceeded. "The gate was discovered in Giza, Egypt back in 1929 by Cathrine's father's team. He was a famous archaeologist from Germany, which is a country far away from here. Remember the globe I showed you, in my office?"

"Yes, I've looked at it numerous times. Germany is across the Atlantic Ocean, am I right?"

"Yes, you are?" He kissed her right hand. "Nobody knew what it was and one time they actually opened the event horizon and Catherine's fiancé went through it. It shut down behind him and he was left alone on the planet he went to for 50 years. Catherine was told he was dead."

"That's dreadful!"

"We found him 9 years ago and he and Catherine were reunited. They got married and they live in Florida."

"That's sweet but all those years alone. I can't imagine what it must have been like."

"It was hard for him. When we found him, I almost stayed there on his planet. We'd found a sort of library there and I wanted to study it. Jack talked me into coming back and just as we were coming through the gate, the whole place fell off a cliff into the ocean. I wouldn't have survived." He paused as if in deep thought and Vala quietly waited.

"Anyway, after he disappeared through the gate that first time, the scientists tried to figure out what happened to him but they didn't have a clue what they were working with. So, the gate was put in storage and pretty much forgotten about.

Catherine tried for years to get them to do research on it and it was about 13 years ago that she finally got permission to study the thing. Sam was on that research team and even with her help, they didn't make much progress.

Then, Catherine read a article in Archeology Today magazine that I wrote, giving my theory that the pyramids were a lot older than we thought and that aliens played a part in building them. I had figured that the written language was approximately 10,000 years old... much older than the experts wanted to admit. I was giving a lecture in New York when she found me. The lecture was a disaster. I should have listened to those around me telling me that nobody would believe me. SO, after I made a complete fool of myself, she found me and invited me to Cheyenne Mountain. I figured out what the symbols were, purely by accident, but they gave me the credit and I helped open the gate.

We went to Abydos, killed Ra... well, the alien who was posing as 'Ra.'

We found a village and met the people but they thought we were gods. I tried to explain to them but it took a while. Meanwhile, the village chief, Kasuf, gave me his oldest daughter. I didn't even know we were married. She came to my tent and I misunderstood and hurt her feelings. It was a few days before I learned what really happened. By that time, we had grown to like each other and it wasn't difficult to take it from there.

Jack returned with his team and I stayed. I lived with them for a year and it was fantastic."

Vala could tell by the way he talked that he was excited about his life there. His breathing and heart rate sped up and he talked faster. She smiled and listened as he told about how he helped in the village by teaching them how to speak English. _'He must have been very happy. I wonder what happened?'_

After he told about that magical year, he grew quiet. She could tell that whatever he was remembering, it was heart breaking. He swallowed a few times and she could tell that he was getting upset.

He said, "Can we stop now? I'm tired and I think I should wait until tomorrow to tell you what happened."

"Of course. Daniel, I'm sorry. I've forced you to talk about something that's obviously very upsetting."

He hugged her close and said, "It's alright. That year we had together was the happiest I'd ever had. I'd finally found my place. I belonged there with her and her family."

She sat up and noted that his eyes were welling up so she kissed his forehead and said, "Let's go to bed. This can wait."

He wiped both his eyes and said, "This is ridiculous. It's been 11 years since we had that year and I still get upset talking about it." He looked away, embarrassed by his behavior.

She gentlyturned his head towards her and looked into his eyes. "It just shows me that you must have loved her very, very much. She was a very lucky woman."

He watched her face as she said that. '_She's not jealous of Sha're? Some women would be.'_ He pulled her in for a kiss and they sat in that chair and made out like a couple of love sick teenagers. It became obvious within minutes that they both wanted to make love so he banked the fire and they both retired for the night.

0 0 0

Much later, when they'd been asleep for a few hours, Vala woke up and thought maybe she'd heard something. Then she realized that Daniel was talking in his sleep. She'd had her head on his chest and heard him say, "No. Sha're, run!" His pulse was starting to speed up and she grew concerned. She reached up and caressed the side of his face and said, "Shhhh. It's okay, Daniel. You're dreaming."

Her soothing voice must have made it through his senses because he calmed down, turned towards her and gathered her into his arms. He was back into a deep sleep within minutes and as she laid there next to him, with her head under his chin, she could only marvel at the love he'd had for his long dead wife. _'To have nightmares after all these years... they must have had a wonderful marriage.' _ She drifted back to sleep, thinking how wonderful it was that he trusted her enough to share that with her.


	5. Heartbreak

Chapter 5. Heartbreak

Vala woke up in the morning to the smell of coffee and noticed right away that she was alone in the bed. _'Maybe he's in the kitchen.'_ She got out and looked over the railing from the loft but he wasn't there, which she could see from her vantage point. She dressed quickly and went down the steps that were built into the wall on the far side of the cabin. The sun was out but because of where they cabin was, it wasn't shining directly on it. Yet, she could see that the side of the mountain across the valley was lit. Looking at her watch, she noted that it was a little after nine. _'Where is he and why didn't he wake me up?' _

She looked out the door and saw him sitting on the porch steps with a denim jacket on over his red plaid shirt and blue jeans. He was holding a cup of coffee in his hands and staring off into the distance.

She got herself a cup and went out to sit next to him. She scooted close to him and he put his arm around her. "Morning," she said.

"Morning," he said and then gave her a quick kiss. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, and why didn't you wake me up?"

"You were pretty out of it. Maybe it's the thin air but you looked like you needed your rest."

Vala asked, "Have you been up long?"

"A couple of hours. I heard something so I came out to take a look. It was a small herd of deer. One of them snorted. Didn't you hear it? It sounds like a whistle blowing."

"Apparently, not."

"What? Did I wear you out last night?" He grinned and she punched his arm lightly.

"No, that's not possible. It has to be the thin air." Vala grinned right back.

"Want to go for a walk? I have my zat in case we come across some bears."

"Sure," she said as she took both their empty cups inside. They headed downstream a little ways and he pointed out some the mountains. He held a topographical map and located the different peaks. They turned back and went inside to fix breakfast. After the dishes were washed, they each got a cup of coffee and went out to sit on the porch.

"It's so quiet here." Vala was struck by the beauty of the place and how peaceful it was.

They sat there, enjoying the view around them when he said, "This place is as different from Abydos as it can be. Abydos is a desert planet. There's sand everywhere. You have to go quite a ways to find any trees. This place is covered with them." He gestured with his hand to point them out.

She didn't say anything because she knew he was trying to get up enough nerve to continue telling her about Sha're. So, she took a sip of her coffee and sat still.

Finally, he started talking. "I was on Abydos for a year when Jack came back. It's a long story but when General Hammond found out that Jack didn't set off a nuclear bomb on Abydos, like he was ordered to, He sent a team through."

Vala couldn't imagine any reason for Abydos to be destroyed but she didn't ask. If she interrupted, he might get distracted and she felt that he really needed to get this stuff out in the open.

He stood and started pacing.

"We were so happy. I spent the days teaching English to a group who met with me almost every day. Children, old people, it didn't matter. She would sit in the back and watch. She was such a quick study. Before long, she could speak and understand quite a bit." He sat back down next to her and said, "She told me she sat in the back so that she could watch me without getting in the way. She said she didn't want to take way my concentration on what I was doing. That was impossible! I could barely take my eyes off her!"

"I saw her picture in your office. She was very beautiful!" Vala squeezed his hand and he smiled at her and then stopped and grew serious.

"We wanted a baby but she never conceived. I could tell she was disappointed and was almost tempted to bring her back to the SGC to see if there was anything Janet could do to find out why she couldn't get pregnant. Maybe it was my fault. Maybe we could try en vitro fertilization." He realized that Vala might not know what that was, so he explained it to her.

She waited for him to continue.

When he did, he said, "We never got the chance. Jack came through the gate and told us that the SGC had been attacked by a Goa'uld and he thought maybe it had come from Abydos. I told Sha're to stay at the pyramid while I took Jack's team and showed them the cartouche where the walls were covered with hundreds of gate addresses. We realized that the Goa'uld could have come from anywhere in the galaxy.

That's where I met Sam for the first time. I think if you give her a chance, you'll like her. She's so smart but she doesn't flaunt it. I've grown to think of her as the sister I never had.

Anyway, while we were at the cartouche, the Goa'uld attacked. They took Sha're and her brother Skaara with them when they left. Ferretti saw the gate address on the DHD and we went back to earth, got a team together and went after them. But before we left Abydos, I told my family there to bury the gate after we'd gone. It was the only way I could think of to keep them safe. I told them I would be back in one year."

He stopped again and said, "I need some more coffee. I'll be right back."

She knew he really just needed a few moments to calm down. _'I can't imagine what that must have been like. No wonder he keeps it all bottled up inside.'_

Daniel came out a few minutes later with the coffee pot and poured Vala another cup. He put the pot away and then sat back down next to her.

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then, he continued.

"They took them to Chulak. We went there to find them and we did. They had both been implanted with mature Goa'uld symbiotes. What was worse was that Sha're had been implanted with Amonet, Apophis' queen. She was a prisoner in her own body and she'd become the wife of a monster." Daniel's last words were almost whispered. He looked so grief stricken that Vala reached over and started rubbing his back.

"A year after the day I left Abydos, I returned to ask Kasuf to forgive me. That I hadn't found Sha're. He took me to his tent and there she was. And she was very pregnant."

"What? You mean..."

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. Apophis had gotten her pregnant with the intent to have the child become his host. Amonet was keeping herself suppressed so that Sha're wouldn't go into premature labor. Sha're felt so ashamed and it took quite a while to convince her that I still loved her. While I was there, she went into labor. I delivered her son and then gave the baby to Kasuf to hide. I couldn't let Amonet have him.

Vala felt almost sick. She'd heard stories about how evil Apophis was but this beat anything she'd ever heard. And to think that Daniel had to deliver the baby!

Daniel looked down at his coffee and said, "It was two years before I found her again. It wasn't her though. It was Amonet and she tried to kill me with a ribbon device. She came close to succeeding, too, but Teal'c came into the tent and shot her with his staff weapon."

"Oh no!" Vala was quietly weeping now and leaned into his shoulder, offering what support she could.

"She died right in front of me, but right at the end, she was in control and she told me she loved me. I was injured and lying on the floor next to her and it happened so fast that I didn't get to tell her I loved her, too, until after she was already dead."

Daniel had tears running down both cheeks as she reached around him and held him in her arms. She had never heard anything so sad in her entire life. She couldn't fathom the pain he was in. It was almost too much for her.

Daniel put his arms around her and rocked her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He handed her his handkerchief and she wiped her eyes and blew her nose.

"Daniel, don't worry about me. I'm worried about YOU! How did you cope? I would have been furious with Teal'c."

"I was very angry, at first," he said. "But, somehow, before she died, Sha're communicated to me through the ribbon device that I had to forgive Teal'c because he was doing the right thing. She must have known she was going to die."

"What did you do?" She leaned back and looked into his eyes, concerned that he would be alright.

"I learned to live with it."

0 0 0

Daniel thought that if they took the zat gun, they could probably go on a hike. The exercise and fresh air would do them both good after the emotional morning they'd had. He packed a backpack with some sandwiches, granola bars, apples and a few bottles of water. He added his journal and a pen for good measure. 'you never know.' He also had his zat holstered at his right hip.

Vala dressed in jeans, a warm shirt over a lighter weight one and hiking boots. She also carried a backpack with a first aid kit, thermal blankets and more water. She took the hand Daniel held out to her and they started up the trail.

The first part of the walk wasn't difficult. The trail led over a grass covered hill and towards some trees. But, with the thin air, they were both struggling a bit so they paused often. They came out of the trees to find some large rock formations on their right, with a massive snow covered peak behind them.

"This is so beautiful," Vala said as she stopped to catch her breath. She looked around at the vista and marveled at the sight. Mountain peaks were scattered for miles, some of them taller than the one they were on.

"Yes, it is." Daniel was in better shape than Vala so he wasn't struggling to breathe as much. "Let's climb up on one of these boulders and have some lunch. We can enjoy the view while we're eating."

They climbed up some smaller boulders and then pulled themselves up on top of a really big one. The surface was warmed by the sun and they spread out their lunch and ate quietly. They put their lunch things away and Daniel laid back with his head on his backpack and closed his eyes for a few minutes.

"Are you tired?" Vala couldn't blame him. They hadn't really gotten a lot of sleep and they had hiked for a couple of hours before stopping.

"A little. I think it's just from out talk this morning." He paused for a moment, rolled over on his side and said, "Why don't you tell me something about yourself?" Daniel didn't really know a lot about Vala and he was surprised by this revelation. _'Has she only been on earth a few months?'_

He watch Vala as she pondered the question. She was beautiful, sitting in the sun. She was tough as nails by default but he'd noticed a softer side this morning when he told her about Sha're. _'She puts a shell up around her to protect herself and I wonder what it would take for her to let me in? Sure, we're getting closer, that's hard to avoid, given the circumstances. But, she's still got a barrier up.'_

Vala noticed Daniel watching her and wondered what was going on behind those gorgeous blue eyes. He had taken off the sun glasses that clipped onto his frames and he smiled.

"Okay, let me see... When I was a little girl, long before my mother died, she used to let me brush her hair. She'd sit back in her chair and close her eyes and let me brush it as long as I wanted. Usually, it was mid-afternoon when she had some time before she had to fix our dinner. I remember singing to her..." Vala stopped and looked away.

Daniel could see that she was trying very hard to hold it together but was really struggling. He reached over and took her hand and said, "You still miss her, don't you?"

She nodded, unable to speak.

"Come here," he said and hugged her to himself.

She sniffed and said, "Someone told me that you lost your parents when you were a little boy."

"Yes, but I'll tell you about that some other time. Right now, let's concentrate on you. How old were you when she died?"

"Nine. She kept getting pregnant and losing the babes. It was very hard on her. I remember hearing her crying. I think she died more from a broken heart than anything else. She grew depressed and just slipped away." She leaned into Daniel shoulder, and started to cry quietly.

He didn't say anything. What could he say? He knew how she felt so he just held her and rubbed circles on her back. After a few minutes she pulled back and used her sleeve to dry her face.

"Thanks," she said and then took a deep breath.

"You're welcome. You've been there for me. It's okay."

"Maybe we should go. I'm not sure how far you want to hike before we turn back."

Daniel looked at the trail that led down the hill, the way they came and stopped. "Vala, don't talk and don't move."

"Why? What's wrong."

He lunged for her and held his hands over her mouth and forced her to lay flat. Then he looked directly into her eyes and whispered, "There's a Grizzly Bear down at the bottom of the hill. I don't think it saw us but it might have smelled us." He reached for his zat and had it ready, just in case.

"What are we going to do?" She really wanted to take a peek over the side of the boulder and see what a bear looked like, but it was obvious by Daniels panicked behavior that that wasn't a good idea.

"I'm gonna see if I can tell where he went." He slowly got up on one elbow and glanced towards where he'd last seen the bear. "I don't see it. We need to wait a bit before we move. I want to try to find out what direction it went before we go back." He peered over the side again and listened. "I think it went into the trees. I can hear branches breaking in the distance."

She whispered very quietly in his ear, "Daniel, tell me, why is this bear so frightening?" She saw how white his face had gone when he held her down. _'He really is scared.'_

"They're the closest things to monsters that are real. They're really big, they can move very fast and they have very long claws."

That couldn't be all of it. After all, he'd made friends with Unas' and that's a good description of them, she thought.

"And they eat people," He said.

"So do Unas!"

"Yeah, but you can reason with an Unas. You can't with a Grizzly."

He looked for the bear and couldn't find it so he said, "We'll wait a little bit longer and then we'll head back. Maybe it winded us but when we laid back on the boulder, it lost our scent."

He quietly laid on his stomach on the boulder and looked around but didn't see anything. After about 15 minutes, he said, "I think we can go. Let's be really quiet."

They stepped down off the boulder and started when he heard a roar from the bottom of the hill, just as the bear came out of the trees. He pointed Vala upwards and yelled at the top of his lungs, "RUN!"


	6. Trapped!

Chapter Six.

Vala turned and sprinted up and around some large boulders and turned around to watch as Daniel zatted the bear from a good distance. Bears can move fast but this was a particularly steep slope, which was slowing it down, some. The bear kept coming and he used the zat again. It paused as if confused and stood there, unmoving, which was all Daniel needed to turn around and race towards Vala. She watched as he struggled around the boulders and her eyes grew wide as she looked past Daniel. He knew without having her tell him that the bear was on the move again. They ran around another big rock and saw a space between two of them so they made it between them just in time. They hit the ground and watched as the bear reached in and tried to take a swipe at them.

"Daniel, can it get us?" Vala decided that she didn't like bears, at all! She was shaking as she lay on the ground. Daniel helped her up off the dirt and they both flattened themselves against the rock behind them.

Daniel looked at their surroundings and wondered after a moment if this was a natural formation or something that just fell together. It looked like a cave or the entrance to one.

The bear had stopped reaching for them but it was still right outside making 'woofing' sounds and it didn't look like it planned on leaving anytime soon.

"I'm sure it can't get us, unless it knows another way in here, and I seriously doubt that."

He looked around at the back of the hole they were in and saw that there seemed to be another passage leading back into the mountain. He reached into his pack and found his flashlight and turned the beam towards the dark opening..

"Look what I found?"

"Of course, the archaeologist WOULD find something."

He turned around and inquired, "Are you angry with me? What did I do?" Daniel was really confused now as they had just spent a nice time comforting each other and now she was honked about what?

"I'm sorry, I'm not angry with you. I'm angry with that bear! HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET OUT OF HERE?" Vala was shouting now, which didn't help the situation and Daniel shouted right back, "I DON'T KNOW."

She stopped, stunned, and looked at him and then started to giggle. Daniel looked at her like she'd just lost her mind. He stopped and watched her try to keep from laughing and realized that she'd only yelled at him because she was so terribly frightened. She was actually near hysterics so he calmed down and chuckled.

"Sweetie, you should have seen the look on your face," she said as she hiccuped.

He shook his head, "I guess I must have looked pretty stupid. I'm sorry. Listen, the bear can't get us in here. There might be another way out. If not, the bear will eventually leave. We have plenty of water and some food left so we'll be fine. Let's take a look around and see what we can find? Okay?"

He reached for her and held her close, rubbing her back and as he did so, he felt her shaking. _'I really blew it! She didn't deserve that. She must have been terrified because I know I was.'_ "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but I must say that THAT bear didn't look anything like the cute, little purple thing that Sam has on her bed."

Daniel was confused and looked at her incredulously and said, "Sam has a purple bear on her bed?" You're kidding? Are you telling me the truth?"

She nodded an affirmative against his shoulder and didn't move away. It felt good having him hold her like this. She reached inside his jacket and put her arms around him. The opening of the jacket came around the back of her shoulders and eventually, the shaking stopped.

For Daniel's part, he couldn't imagine a purple bear anywhere in Sam's house, let alone on her bed. He'd file that away for future reference. "Are you ready to explore a little bit? Maybe we'll find our way out."

He kissed the top of her head, reached down and took her hand as they made their way, all the while hearing the bear woofing at them from outside.

0 0 0

The path sloped downward slightly and they entered a small cavern. It wasn't very big but Daniel noticed right away that there were drawings on the walls.

"Look at this?" He touched the drawings with his fingers and looked intently at them, muttering to himself.

Vala watched him, fascinated at the change in him. He was completely engrossed in the new find and she had to admire the brilliance in this man. He was a rare find. She wondered how someone nearing 41 years old, which was fairly young by most planet's standards (at least the ones she'd been to) could be so intelligent. She'd have to ask him about that, sometime. How did he learn so much, so quickly?

She remembered hearing two women in the commissary talking about him when they didn't know she could hear them.

_One said, "He is so handsome."_

_The other said, "He's a geek. I don't know what you see in him."_

"_Are you kidding, that man is drop dead gorgeous! I don't care how smart he is."_

"_SO, he could be some guy who drinks beer, belches really loud, farts in public and has grease under his nails from working on cars and it wouldn't matter."_

"_Yup, all that and more. It's those eyes."_

"_Valerie, listen. He's a geek. G-E-E-K. Do you know what that stands for? Goofy, Emasculated, Effeminate, Kook. He's probably socially inept and gay. Don't waste your time getting all flustered about him. From what I've heard, he hasn't had a date in years and he's a workaholic."_

"_Really? You think he's gay?"_

"_I'm positive."_

Vala had to laugh. 'If only they knew... He's so good in...'

Daniel heard her laugh and turned around. "What?"

"What? Hey, what did you find there?" She changed he subject quickly. 'If he knew how people at work talked, he'd be mortified. Maybe I'll set those women straight. It certainly wouldn't hurt to drop a word or two. His reputation would definitely be better for it. I wonder if some of the men at the base hit on him? It would stop that, too!'

Daniel said, "Well... it looks like this might have been a burial site at one time. It looks like they buried a hunter here... someone who got killed while hunting..." He stopped and looked at it again. "Elephants? That's not possible. Elephants aren't indigenous to the North American continent." He got out his journal and started copying what he saw. "I can cross reference this with some books I have at the office and see if I got it right."

"What are elephants, Daniel?"

"See this drawing right here? It's a big, gray animal that has a long trunk, see it here, (he pointed at it) and large ears. They can stand almost twice as tall as a man. They can be trained to move large loads, like logs and people can even ride on them. Remind me when we get back to the SGC to get on the internet and show you." He busied himself making the sketches that went around the room. _'The walls are covered with them! And, nobody knows it's here but us!'_ It was some time later before he was finished.

He sat down against the wall of the cave next to Vala and they shared a bottle of water. Daniel looked at his watch and saw that it was around 6:30. "I'm going to go see if the bear is still out there."

"Don't get too close. I don't want to have to explain that you became dinner, tasty morsel that you are, mind you."

He just grinned and went around the wall. As he neared the exit to the cave he stopped to listen. He didn't hear anything and wondered if the bear had left. He stepped closer and just missed being sliced into ribbons as the bear made a lunge for him. The roar from the bear was hideously loud for such a small space and he hurried back to where Vala was.

She jumped up when she heard the bear growl and saw Daniel come around the wall, white as a sheet. "Are you okay? Did it get you?"

"I'm fine. I thought it was gone but I was wrong. He's sitting out there waiting for us to come out." He slumped against the wall and realized that they were in serious trouble but he didn't want to scare Vala so he kept quiet about it.

"I thought you said it would give up." Vala didn't want to stay in this place and said, "You know, I love being with you but the accommodations are dreadful and the entertainment sucks!"

"Have you been hanging around Jack? It sounds just like something he'd say."

She sat back down, leaned against the wall and handed him the water bottle, of which he took a good drink and then handed it back. She had been wondering about something so decided to ask. "Are you two good friends?"

"I guess you could say that. There was a time when we weren't." He paused for a moment, picking up some small stones and tossing them across the room. "That was a few years ago before I ascended. Things had been rough, some things were said. Eventually, we worked it out, but it was strained for a while. After I came back, things were better." He stopped with the stones and smiled at her. "At first, I didn't remember all the conflict so that helped. And when I did remember, it didn't matter anymore." He felt a little better sitting there talking to her about something other than their present quandary.

He pointed the beam from his flashlight around the room and saw that there was a small opening on the far side, near the back. They both scrambled over to it and he poked his head in. "Vala, this might be our way out... It's another cavern, a larger one."

They grabbed their packs and pushed them through the small hole and then crawled inside. After standing and dusting themselves off, Daniel grabbed his light and pointed it around the place. It was a lot larger than the cave behind them and had more drawings on the walls. It was also a lot cooler, which made Vala shiver and rub her arms.

This room also had cave drawings of hunters and animals scattered across the surface of the walls. Daniel was thrilled with the find and wanted to pause to take it all in. It was huge! He took his journal and started scribbling furiously, wanting to get it all down on paper.

Vala, on the other hand, realized that it was getting later and they still hadn't found a way out of the predicament. She didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm but there were more practical issues at hand.

"Darling, shouldn't we be looking for an exit?" Vala didn't want to nag, but she knew Daniel would gladly stay in this cave for days and weeks, if he could, trying to uncover the mysteries on the walls around him.

"Uh huh." She doubted that he'd even heard what she'd just said. _'I guess I'll have to look around. He's a bit absorbed at the moment,'_ she thought to herself with a sigh.

She used her flashlight to look around the room to see if there were any openings besides the one they just came through, but she didn't find anything at all. It was a very large room but a dead end and that meant they would have to get past the bear. "Wonderful!"

"What?" Daniel stood up and aimed his flashlight in her direction.

"There's no way out, Dear. We're going to have to get by Yogi out there."

"Yogi?" Daniel smiled at her and asked, "Where did you hear about Yogi?"

"Teal'c said something about 'Yogi Bear'. I assumed it was some cultural reference but he didn't explain and I didn't ask."

He just grinned and said, "We'll leave that for another time. So, you're sure this is it? No other passages?" He carefully searched around the room and came to the conclusion that she was right.

"Okay, Yogi, it is." He looked around the room and decided that he could bring a team back at some point and go over all this more thoroughly. For now, the priority would have to be escaping this place. "I'm going back to the entrance to see if 'Yogi,' has left."

He left his pack with her and crawled through the hole in the wall. Once on the other side, he quietly made his way toward the opening and looked to see if there was much daylight left. While the sun was still up,it was darker where they were, in the early evening shadows. And he saw something else. The bear had moved off a ways but hadn't left. _'Great.'_

He made his way back to Vala and told her that they would probably have to spend the night there.

"Why can't we wait until dark and then make a run for it. The bear might not see us."

"Well, we might not see us, either. Bears are nocturnal. That means they sleep during the day and are out hunting at night."

"If that's true, why was he out there in the middle of the day?"

"He was probably hungry. Which is also why he won't leave, just yet."

"So, he might be there in the morning, waiting for his 'Happy Meal?'"

"You've been watching too much T.V," Daniel said. "The bear has to sleep at some point so it'll probably go back to it's den and then we can get out of here. Until then, we just make ourselves comfortable and wait."


	7. Bear Attack!

Chapter Seven. Bear Attack!

Daniel and Vala spent the night on the ground between two thermal blankets, barely able to sleep. The ground was hard and they both kept thinking about their situation and whether or not they'd be able to get out without the bear finding them. And the thermal blankets barely kept them warm in the cold cave. Chilled to the bone, they'd huddled together and slept fitfully.

As daylight started to lighten the outer chamber, Daniel sat up and rubbed his eyes in an attempt to fully waken. Vala sat up next to him and watched as he picked up his eyeglasses from atop the backpack next to him and put them on. She felt very tired and wished for a long, hot shower and a hot cooked meal. Reaching for her pack, she removed a bottle of drinking water, took a drink and then offered it to Daniel.

He took a couple of swallows and then said, "How many bottles do we have left?"

"Two."

He handed it back to her, watched her cap it and said, "Well, hopefully we'll be out of here and back to the cabin before we use them up. How are you this morning?" Daniel looked over to her and saw that she looked very tired. "My guess is you didn't sleep well, either?"

"No, the ground is hard and I kept worrying about how we were going to get out of here. Why didn't you bring your cell phone?"

"The battery was dead. Don't worry. We'll get out of here. If we don't show up back at Leon's by Friday, he'll come looking for us."

"We'll be out of water by then. Maybe we'd better check and see if Yogi left."

Daniel smiled at the reference and got up. He stretched and then groaned. "My back is killing me."

Vala got up and said she felt the same way.

They quietly crept towards the opening and stood back, craning their necks to see outside. The limited viewpoint showed them that the sun was up and a light breeze was blowing the branches of the trees across the way. Daniel picked up a fist sized stone and tossed it outside. If the bear was still there, it would probably react but nothing happened. He threw a few more and waited. Then he took a step closer, hoping that the bear was not out there. Nothing appeared in his field of vision through the opening so he stepped closer again.

Vala whispered, "Daniel, be careful! He could be right outside."

Daniel turned back to her and quietly said, "I think we'd know by now if the bear was out here. I'm just going to stick my head out and look around."

He had his zat gun in his hand as he stepped closer and said to himself, _'It's now or never.'_

He poked his head outside but didn't see the bear anywhere. He stepped further out and looked all around and saw that the bear had left.

"Vala, come on out. He's gone."

Vala carried both their packs and exited the sanctuary they'd found. "Are you sure?"

"No, he could be nearby, but I don't see him. Let's very quietly head for the trail and get back to the cabin. We'll drive down to Leon's and I'm sure he'll want to know there's a grizzly up here."

They started down the hill and made it to the tree line without incident. Daniel felt immense relief to be on their way. He was glad he'd found the cave drawings but his excitement was dampened by the danger they'd faced. _'I want to get out of here and get Vala back to safety.'_

Vala was nervous and kept looking behind them, up the trail, hoping that they'd get back to the cabin and out of there before the bear appeared again.

They got about 30 yards from the cabin's back porch when the bear came around the front of the small dwelling. Daniel stopped in his tracks and held his hand out behind him to stop Vala. She'd seen the bear, too and stood still, unable to move. He held his hand up indicating for her to keep quiet and hoped the bear hadn't winded them. Bear's don't have good eye sight and it was just possible that if they didn't move or make any noise, it would go away.

The bear lifted it's nose into the air and sniffed. Apparently, it had caught the scent of something and Daniel hoped it wasn't them. It turned and seemed to look right at them and they stopped and waited to see what it would do. It took a few steps towards them and sniffed again and then started towards them in a quick lope. Daniel stepped forward and shot the zat gun but it didn't slow the bear down. Instead, it seemed to make the bear angry and it charged!

He shot again but the bear wasn't fazed. Vala was frozen in fear and watched helplessly as the bear tackled Daniel and bowled him over. The zat gun went flying and landed a few feet in front of her. She ran for it and held it up and heard Daniel scream her name as the bear pinned him to the ground. She started shooting the zat, hoping that she was going to stop the bear but wasn't hurting Daniel.

It took three more shots before the bear backed up and sat back on it's haunches with a glazed look in it's eyes. She saw Daniel lying on the ground, blood flowing from his upper left arm and heard him yell, "Shoot it again!" She did and the bear fell over backwards. Daniel scrambled away as fast as he could, holding his arm close to his body.

She ran towards him, sank down in the dirt by his side and got the first aid kit out of her pack. She pulled the fabric from his shirt sleeve apart and saw that he was bleeding very badly. Getting the pressure bandages out, she immediately started working on the wound, noting the whole time that Daniel had the zat trained on the bear. But, he was losing a lot of blood and she saw by the look on his face that he was in shock and having a hard time staying conscious.

"Vala, we have to get out of here. Help me to the Jeep and we'll head for Leon's."

"Daniel, I'm not sure you should move. You're hurt badly." She checked his pulse and noticed it was racing. The blood flow from his arm had slowed down but it was still leaking through the gauze and he was very pale and shaking noticeably.

"Help me up," he croaked. Daniel tried to get to his feet but swayed and Vala caught him and helped him sit until the dizziness passed. They she helped him stand and held him up, waiting for him to let her know he was ready to go. When he nodded, she let him lean on her until they got to the jeep and sat him in the passenger seat, where he leaned back and closed his eyes.

The Jeep had been attacked by the bear before they'd gotten to the cabin and the canvas top was shredded. The seats were ripped apart and were missing most of the foam interior. Vala remembered that Daniel's keys were in the glove box so she got them out and started the vehicle.

"Vala, you don't know how to drive."

"How hard can it be? I've flown an Al-Kesh. This can't be much different."

Before Daniel passed out, he thankfully thought that it was a good thing the Jeep had an automatic transmission or they'd never get out of there.

Vala turned the key and remembered that she'd seen Daniel drive this Jeep a number of times and thought she could do it if she had to. And, she had to, so there was no hesitation as she shifted into drive and pushed down on the gas pedal. It lurched forward, causing Daniel to sway towards her. She remembered the seat belt and hit the brake hard, which caused him to land in her lap. She pushed him back up, and saw that his arm was soaked with blood and it was dripping onto the seat. As she reached around him and buckled him in, she said, "Hang in there, sweetheart. I'm going to get us down this mountain and get help. Just hang on."

She turned back to driving the Jeep and managed to slowly follow the dirt track down the slope. It took a while and a few scary stops and starts but finally she saw Leon's house in the distance and started beeping the horn.

Leon was sitting in the kitchen, drinking his first cup of coffee of the morning, when he heard the commotion. He stepped outside to see the Jeep come to a lurching halt in front of the house and noted that Vala was driving and Daniel seemed to be slumped forward and asleep. He stepped off the porch as Jenny came through the door behind him. She watched Leon approach the Jeep and then hurry around to the other side and open the door. Leon reached in, unbuckled Daniel's seat belt and lifted up his friend to carry him over his shoulder to the house.

Vala yelled, "He was attacked by a bear!"

Jenny ran inside and called the local fire department for help. They said they'd send help as soon as they could but it might take a bit for them to get up there. The man asked if there was a clearing big enough to land an emergency helicopter and then said that this would be the fastest way and he would call and have one dispatched.

Meanwhile, Leon carried Daniel to the couch in the living room and started cutting off Daniel's shirt. Vala stood helplessly by, as she watched Jenny and Leon work on him.

"Vala, when did this happen? The blood looks fresh."

"About an hour ago. A bear chased us so we spent the night in a cave and we left this morning and got almost to the cabin when the bear showed up again and went after Daniel and started chewing on him and I zatted the grizzly bear but it wouldn't stop and I kept shooting and finally the bear fell over and…"

She finally stopped speaking and broke into tears as she watched them check Daniel's injuries.

"Zatted?"

Vala realize what she'd done and said, "You know, shoot. We kept shooting at the bear until it died." She hoped they would believe her and wanted to kick herself for making the slip about the zat gun.

Daniel's shoulder and upper arm were horribly swollen and lacerated and bruising had begun around the injury. It was still bleeding a bit and Leon knew that Daniel would probably fight infection from the bite. Who knows what the bear had eaten lately and what kind of germs were in it's mouth.

Daniel started to come around and opened his eyes, moaning from the pain.

"Hold on there, buddy. Vala got you here and help is coming."

Daniel looked at Vala and weakly said, "You drove the Jeep?"

She mutely nodded and looked at him, with tears running down her face. _'He's so pale. Oh no, I can't lose him now.' _Daniel slowly closed his eyes and Leon quickly checked his pulse. "He's okay. He just passed out."

In a little while, they heard the thump, thump, thump of the helicopter blades and Jenny ran outside waving a towel and indicating that they had the injured man there with them. The helicopter landed in the clearing and the medics jumped out with their kits and headed for the house.

They went inside and rushed over to the couch, giving Leon, Jenny and Vala enough time to step back and out of the way. One medic immediately started an IV in Daniel's good arm and started checking vital signs. The other medic cut away the bloody bandages that Leon had applied and both medics were making a quick assessment of his injuries.

Daniel had a lot of gashes on his chest and it looked like he put up a good fight. His hands were scraped raw, probably bitten in an attempt to push the bear's face away.

Soon, they had his arm wrapped again and an automatic blood pressure cuff on Daniels good arm. He was moaning from the pain as they strapped him to a body board so they gave him some morphine and headed for the helicopter with Vala on their heels. They climbed in and lifted off while Leon and Jenny stood on the porch watching them take off.

Soon after they helicopter left, Leon heard the sirens from emergency vehicles heading up the road to their house. He met the sheriff's car in the driveway and watched as a Jeep carrying two DNR officers pulled in behind the sheriff. The car doors opened and the four men headed for the porch.

The men introduced themselves to Leon and Jenny and the sheriff said, "We came as soon as we heard it was a bear attack. Do you know where it happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure but it couldn't have been too far from the cabin they were staying at because Vala, the victim's girlfriend, drove the Jeep." Leon pointed to the vehicle in question and the six of them walked over to it and looked it over. The deputy sheriff got out a digital camera and started taking pictures.

"There's a lot of blood on the passenger seat." The DNR officer looked closer. "It looks like the bear attacked the Jeep, too. It's really torn up. I'm assuming that's the victim's blood."

Leon nodded. "That's where he was sitting when they got here.

"Tell me exactly what happened. Everything they said." The sheriff and the DNR officer got out their note pads and pens and started writing. After Leon and Jenny told them all they could, the four men turned and looked at the path leading up the hill.

Okay, we need to head up and find the bear. Can you show us the way?"

"Yes sir," Leon said. The two sheriff's officers climbed into Leon's SUV and the two DNR officers followed. When they got to the cabin, they stopped and got out. It was obvious that the bear had gotten inside the cabin and had torn everything apart. The table by the window had been flipped over and broken dishes and cups were scattered across the floor. The coffee pot was tipped over, leaving a wet stain on the pine counter top. Couch cushions were ripped apart and foam rubber was strewn around the room. It didn't look like the bear made it up to the loft. The deputy sheriff went up to look around and it was neat and clean with the bed made and the two duffel bags sitting neatly along the wall.

The men went back outside and started walking towards the trail head. The DNR officers had rifle's loaded and ready, just in case they came across the wounded animal. The sheriff's drew their hand guns and waited. The senior DNR officer looked around, and saw that the ground was soaked with blood but there wasn't a bear laying anywhere nearby. As they scanned the area around the edge of the clearing, he was puzzled that there were no shell casings from any bullets. He stepped further up the trail and picked some bear fur from the side of a tree.

"It looks like it survived and ran away. Didn't you say that the woman said they shot it over and over again?"

"Yes, she did, although she was really upset, so who knows what really happened?" Leon wasn't sure if it was important but he added, "She said she 'zatted' the bear. I assumed she meant 'shot'."

"Okay, well when something like this happens, people get shook up and say all kinds of things. I'll talk with her and try to find out what she meant. Meanwhile, I don't see any blood, other than what I assume is the victim's. There's a blood trail leading to where the Jeep was probably parked but that's all. If the bear was shot repeatedly and ran up the path, leaving fur on that tree over there, where's the blood?"

The four officers looked at each other, each one waiting for another to offer a solution. When no one did, the DNR officer said, "Okay, I'll have to get a team together and we'll have to go hunt that bear down. I'm also going to have this fur analyzed. She said it was a grizzly?"

"Yes, sir. I wondered about that when she said it. We don't have grizzly bears around here. At least, not since I've lived up here and that's been about 12 years."

"Okay, I'll have this analyzed and we'll find out for sure but it doesn't look like grizzly fur. It might have been just a big black bear. Not all black bears are black. Some are brown and they can get really big. We'll find out and hopefully, we'll find that bear."

They locked the cabin up, got back into their vehicles and headed back to Leon's house.

The two sheriff's officers stepped behind their vehicle and the senior officer said to his deputy, "No shell casings. What do you think happened up there?"

The deputy pondered that for a moment and said, "I don't know sir but I think it sounds kinda fishy."

"I agree. I'm going to have to have a talk with those two when we get to the hospital. Something is definitely wrong here."

They continued writing up their report and then left. The two DNR officers were calling in a team to investigate what happened and hunt the bear.

Jenny watched from the picture window in the living room as the two cars pulled away and said, "Did the medics say which hospital they were taking Daniel to?" She was hoping they could call and find out how Daniel was doing.

"Yeah, they said Denver General. I'm sure they must be there by now. I'll call in a little bit and hopefully they'll have some good news."


	8. What Was That Thing?

Chapter Eight. What Was That Thing?

Vala watched as the EMT's worked on Daniel and he appeared to be stable. He was still unconscious, which was probably a good thing. She looked out the window for a minute and saw the Rocky Mountain range to her left as they flew north east over them and it was what seemed like minutes before they were landing on the top of a large building in downtown Denver. Emergency room nurses and doctors were waiting for them, coats flapping and hair flying about them as they approached the helicopter to remove the stretcher. She jumped out and followed them in as the gurney carrying Daniel was rushed through double electronic sliding doors. He was whisked away and one of the doctors took her aside to question her about what had happened. She explained everything calmly and then was led aside to a waiting room.

After sitting for a few minutes, in a daze, she realized that she had to call the SGC and get in touch with General Landry. She asked to use a phone and was shown one on a desk in the nurses station.

After she talked to the General, she went back to the waiting room and quietly and completely fell apart. She was alone so no one was there to comfort her and she was terrified that she would lose her Daniel.

About 45 minutes later, the doors to the emergency room opened and a doctor came to her and sat across from her on the coffee table.

"Ma'am, I'm Dr. Freeman and I wanted to let you know that Dr. Jackson is fine. The bear's teeth punctured his arm and caused a lot of bleeding but it didn't tear any of the muscle away. He has some fingers broken on each hand but we set them and they'll be fine. He has a couple of deep scratches across his chest from the claws, I think, but we stitched them up and they'll heal. He lost a lot of blood but he'll make a full recovery. You acted quickly, which probably saved his arm and his life. They're just now putting in the final stitches and in a bit, they'll move him to recovery. As soon as he's settled, we'll take you to his room."

Tears ran freely down her face and the doctor patted her shoulder and asked if he could get her some water. She nodded and a few minutes after taking a sip, the doors opened and General Landry and Colonel Mitchell came in. They immediately went to her side and asked what happened. She waited for the doctor to finished telling them what he knew and that Daniel was okay.

"I'm going to have to have him transferred to our base in Colorado Springs, Doctor. Daniel works on classified materials and is a security risk if he's held at any other medical facility. You never know what he might say while under the influence of heavy duty pain killers. I hope you understand."

"That's fine. We'll keep him isolated and as soon as he's out of recovery, he'll be released into your care. Do you have transport?"

"Yes, we do. Just let us know when we can move him."

Landry shook hands with the doctor and watched as he left the room. Then he turned back towards Cam and Vala and sat down in a chair by the couch they were on.

"We're going to transport up to the 'Daedalus' as soon as Daniel is ready to be moved. So, I'll need you to stick around. Okay, tell me what happened."

Vala explained how they went up and met Daniel's friends and went to the cabin. She talked about them taking a hike and coming across the bear, the cave with the drawings, and their attempt at an escape. When she described the attack, she wept quietly and Cam pulled her into a hug. When he let her go, she was calm again and so he went to get her another drink of water.

While Cam was gone, Landry said, "I know what's going on with you and Daniel, Vala, and it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

Vala wondered how he knew about her and Daniel. "Sir, I'm sorry we didn't tell you about us. It only started being 'us' about 4 days ago so we didn't have a chance."

"I know. When Teal'c told me about the house and that you were there with the team, I put two and two together. Teal'c doesn't gossip, don't worry. I asked him if he had been enjoying his time off and he said yes, and told me where he'd been. He said that everyone had left that morning except you and Daniel. I could tell that something was different between you two. Not so much with you, as with Daniel. He stuck his neck out for you and requested that I give you a chance to prove yourself. To be honest, I wasn't inclined to. But, he was quite convincing so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Lately, he's been looking at you when he didn't know I could see."

"He has?"

"Yes, and you're behaving like a responsible adult for a change. You're working hard and helping out the SGC tremendously. When you started behaving and stopped harassing him, he started to look at you as a woman and not as a pest."

"Well sir, I didn't know you were an expert on human psychology?" Vala laughed and smiled.

"I didn't get to be a General in the United States Air Force by keeping my eyes closed. I've seen a lot of things over the years and I've noticed that when a little boy and a little girl are picking on each other, it means they're attracted to each other. Adults are no different. Now, do you have any things left up at the cabin? Clothes, stuff like that?

"Yes. In the loft. Both our bags are up there. And Daniel's Jeep is at his friend's house."

Landry smiled and patted her hand. "We'll send someone up to get them."

Cam came in at that point and handed her the refilled paper cup of water and then sat next to her.

"Sir, there's something else. When I was talking with Daniel's friend, I let it slip that I 'zatted' the bear. I backpedaled a bit when he looked confused and said, 'you know, we shot the bear.' I wanted to kick myself afterwards and he didn't seem confused by what I'd said. But, sir, I realized on the flight over here that if we had shot the bear with conventional weapons, we would have a gun and there would be blood. We don't have a handgun and the bear wasn't bleeding. The only blood they're going to find is Daniel's."

"Okay. We'll have to come up with a cover story. Thank you for telling me this. I appreciate your honesty."

They were waiting for further news on Daniel's recovery when they stepped into the hall and saw two sheriff's officers come into the unit. Vala recognized them from the mountain and grabbed General Landry and Cam and pulled them into a side room. "Those are the officers that came to investigate. I'm sure they're here about Daniel. Why else would they have come all the way from that mountain?"

"Let me handle it, Vala. You stay here with Colonel Mitchell."

She nodded and he left the room. She looked at Cam and he said, "Don't worry, General Landry can handle them. If nothing else, it's a national security issue and he won't tell them anything."

"How is shooting a bear a national security issue? They aren't going to settle for that, Cam. Would you?" Vala was afraid that she'd be arrested and taken into custody and she didn't think General Landry could stop them.

"Just stay in here with me. He won't tell them where you are. We'll beam you out and they'll probably always wonder but they'll never know."

A few minutes later, General Landry came back into the room and said, "They left. I told them they would have to wait for an explanation and that we'd contact them when Daniel was ready to talk. But, that's not going to happen so don't worry. I've just called and had two SGC personnel beam into the cabin, get your stuff and beam back out. Your things are on the _Daedalus_, as we speak. Others are driving up to get Daniel's Jeep, the conventional way."

The door opened and then Dr. Freeman came in and told them that Daniel was ready for transport and they could see him.

They went to the recovery room and saw that Daniel was asleep in a hospital bed and though he looked pale, his monitors showed that he was in good shape. His left arm and that side of his chest was heavily bandaged and both hands were wrapped as well.

Landry turned his back to the doctor and gave a signal. Two SGC orderlies beamed into an empty elevator and the doors opened on their floor and they stepped out. They went to the room Landry directed them too and transferred Daniel to the gurney they brought with them. After unhooking Daniel from the monitors and making sure the IV wasn't twisted, they moved out into the hall and Landry thanked Dr. Freeman for his help. Dr. Freeman handed them the file with all the medical information about Daniels surgery, the medication and antibiotics he was given, and all other pertinent information for the transfer of care. Vala gave the Doctor a hug and then they stepped into the elevator. Landry pushed the button for the first floor and then beamed them all up to the Daedalus.

After arriving, the orderlies took Daniel to the infirmary and got him settled into a bed. Vala followed and when they left, she sat in a chair by his bed and finally relaxed. It was over. Daniel was safe, they were back in the care of the SGC and she wouldn't have to answer any Sheriff's questions.

0 0 0

Daniel became aware that he could hear monitors. It was a familiar sound and at first he thought he was at the SGC and that Janet was near by. Then he remembered that Janet had died two years before, so that really confused him and almost brought tears to his eyes. He opened his eyes and heard Vala say, "He's awake." When he turned his head, there she was, holding his right arm.

He smiled at her and asked, "What happened?"

"A bear chewed on you. You're okay. Hey, are you in pain? You look like you're about to cry."

"It's nothing." He looked around the room and saw that he was in the infirmary at the SGC. "How did we get here? Last thing I remember is you driving the Jeep. I think. Did you really drive it?"

"Yes, I did. It wasn't hard. I got you back to Leon and Jenny's and they called for help. It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later."

Dr. Lam was looking over the monitors and taking notes. "Hello there, Dr. Jackson. Welcome back. Do you remember what happened?"

He paused for a minute and then said, "Yeah, I do and I'd rather forget." Daniel gave her a sheepish smile and took a deep breath. Then he said, "Ow."

"Yeah, 'ow.' You have some stitches in your chest from the bear's claws. Your arm was sewn back together, too. The doctor's in Denver did a great job with that, by the way."

"Denver?" Now he was really confused.

"Long story, remember?" Vala said.

"I'll take your word for it." He looked around the room and said, "So, how bad and when can I get out of here?"

"Well, you've got a slight fever because you're fighting off an infection in your arm and chest. Until the fever is gone, I want to keep you here overnight. If you're still stable in the morning, you can stay in the VIP quarters. In a few days, we'll see. It things go well, I might dismiss you by Saturday."

"Isn't your birthday Saturday?" Vala smiled. "If you're a good boy, Darling, you can have cake and ice cream and we'll hire a clown for your party."

He gave her a dirty look and said, "Very funny. Yes, it's my birthday and if you make a fuss, I won't be so nice."

Vala laughed and held up a cup with a straw for him to drink from.

Dr. Lam said, "Vala, would you step into the hall for a moment? I want to change Daniels dressings and it's gonna take a few minutes. Maybe you can go get some lunch."

Vala gave Daniel a kiss on the cheek and said, "Don't go anywhere." Then she said, "Carolyn, make sure you page me when you're finished, okay?"

Daniel gave her a sardonic smile and watched her as she left.

"She's a lot of fun, Daniel. You two got a thing going?" Carolyn got out the electronic thermometer and waved it across his forehead.

"Just recently," he said as he looked up at her. "It kinda snuck up on both of us."

"Well, I like her. And she's good for you. Keeps you on your toes." She wrote in her chart and then took his blood pressure.

"What do you mean?" He wondered if there had been any gossip.

She finished and then pulled her stethoscope away and said, "Let's put it this way… until a short while ago, you were spending too much time on the base. Overworked, underfed and grumpy. Now, she's around and from what I hear, she's been a lot of help. You actually go home at the end of the day. She even makes you laugh a time or two. That's a good thing."

"So, she has your stamp of approval?" Daniel grinned at her as she started to removed his chest bandages.

"Yes. Now be quiet and let me work." She smiled back at him and as he settled back into the pillow, he thought that Carolyn was right. Vala was good for him.

0 0 0

Daniel spent the last two days on his hospital stay in the VIP room with Vala waiting attendance and by the end of the week, he was climbing the walls. Dr. Lam told him his office was off limits and he tried to get Siler to sneak in his laptop but Siler had been warned and wouldn't comply. Daniel was told to rest. Vala did her best to keep him company but by Friday night, she'd had enough and asked Cam to take her out to the house.

Daniel was grumpy, rude, overbearing and obnoxious (her words) and she needed some time to herself. She never thought she would ever feel that way about Daniel but she knew it was only because he was incapacitated and would be back to his old self, soon.

Late Saturday morning, Daniel rode home from the SGC with Carolyn. She had been invited over for the barbecue so after her last examination to make sure he was well enough, she took him home.

He felt like kissing the ground when he got out of her car. It was so good to be back. He'd only been gone a few days but it felt like forever. When he stepped through the front doors, he was greeted by Vala, Jack, and Teal'c. General Landry was out on the grilling deck with Cam, discussing their favorite marinade recipes and he went out to say hello. He was only out there a few minutes when Vala pulled him back inside and sat him on the couch next to her.

"Carolyn said you have to sit. I will be right here if you need anything."

"I'm not going to argue with you. I'm so glad to be home, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Really?" Vala grinned at him and he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Really." He grinned at her and started to laugh. "Within reason."

"Of, of course, Darling. 'Within reason'," she echoed.

Daniel was unable to feed himself or hold a glass so he was at her mercy, but she was very sweet to him and they laughed as she fed him. A little before 2 o'clock, the door opened and Sam came in.

"Hey, you're back!" Daniel was overjoyed to see her.

"Yes, and I heard about what happened. I had to get back here to see if you were alright and I knew the party was today, so here I am." She sat down next to Daniel and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "How are you, really?"

"I'm good. Carolyn brought me home this morning."

"I know. My first stop was the SGC and they told me you'd been released. When I heard about what happened..."

"I'm okay, Sam. Right, Vala? Tell her I'm okay."

"He's fine. In a few weeks, he'll be good as new. I'm going to stay here at the house and spoil him rotten."

"Drive me crazy, is more like it." Daniel gave Sam a grin and she could only laugh. He always seemed to bounce back.

Jack came in and sat across from them. Unscrewing a beer bottle, he said, "Okay, tell me about the bear." The others all came in and made themselves comfortable.

"The bear? What do you mean?" Daniel was puzzled. "Didn't you hear about what happened?"

"Yes, but I have some questions and I need some answers. So, first, tell me, how did the bear behave?"

"Like a bear, Jack. It was big, angry and probably hungry. Did you see the carcass?"

"No. There was no carcass." Jack took a sip from his beer bottle and looked at Daniel over the top as he did.

"What do you mean? Vala killed it right in front of me." Daniel looked at Vala and she smiled at his confusion.

"Darling, listen. When they officers went up to find the bear, it was gone. It escaped."

"How could that be?" Daniel looked around the room at everyone. "I wasn't dreaming any of this so there has to be a logical explanation."

"Vala,' Jack said, "How many times do you think you zatted that bear."

"I don't know. It had to be at least 5 or 6 times. It just wouldn't quit. Daniel zatted it a few times before I did so it was maybe a total of 8 times."

"That should have killed it, Jack. What's going on?" Daniel was really disturbed and wondered what Jack was implying.

"I'm not sure but I think that we have a serious problem. I think the bear was a Goa'uld."

"WHAT?" Daniel almost came out of his seat. "You're kidding me, right? This is all just a prank for my birthday, right?"

"No, Daniel. I'm not kidding. I can't explain why the zat didn't kill the 'bear,' but it didn't die. It might still be up there somewhere, roaming the woods. And we have to find it."

"It's the only explanation, Daniel," said General Landry. "I don't know how it happened but I think we have a bear loose that's been implanted by a Goa'uld. The sheriff's men weren't able to find any trace of the animal after a while. We had a hard time getting them to turn over the investigation to us and they wanted answers that we couldn't give."

"We think it was planned. We found out some things while you were in the infirmary that causes us to believe that you were a target."

"Jack..."

"Daniel... okay, listen and try not to interrupt. When you were brought back to the SGC, Carolyn did the standard MRI and CAT scans. She found something that she hadn't noticed before. Nobody did, probably because it's so small and they weren't looking for it. You were implanted with a tracking device. Probably Osiris did it when he was beaming in and out of your house. It was in your heel. You never knew. We think they wanted to keep tabs on you so that Sarah or Osiris could check in from time to time and see if you learned anything new about the Lost City. They could do it at any time, if they knew where you were."

"So, what's the bear got to do with it."

We're not positive but we think that when the NID rogues who were working out of Area 51 found out about it, they decided to leave it in. You became a problem for them, Daniel, so they decided to take advantage of it. I think they were tired of you getting in their way. We found out this house was bugged. So was your Jeep. They knew exactly where you were at all times and could monitor what you were saying. When they saw that you were alone with Vala, up at the cabin, they secretly implanted the bear and sent it after you. Nobody would be the wiser if you and Vala were killed and eaten by a bear. The authorities would hunt the bear down and kill it, find parts of you both inside it, and that would be the end of it. No questions asked. But, you two fought it off."

"We found the bug, Daniel." Cam held out a transmitter and placed it on the coffee table. "Actually, there were a few of them. We kept one to show you and destroyed the rest. We thought you might like the pleasure of taking out the last one."

Daniel looked at the thing and felt sick. "They've been listening to everything?" For how long?"

"Approximately 2 years."

Daniel went white in the face and Carolyn jumped up and ran over to him. She checked his pulse and said, "He's okay. Daniel, if you can, put you head between your knees."

Daniel couldn't do that very well with all the bandages around his chest and arm so they made room for him to lay flat on the couch.

"Some happy birthday this turned out to be, Jack," Vala said as she came back from the kitchen with a damp cloth and put it on his forehead. "I think he needs a bit of time to himself, if you don't mind. Carolyn, please stay."

"Right," Jack said. "Let's all go out to the deck and give him some time alone."

After they stepped outside, Vala noticed that Daniel's color was coming back. Carolyn monitored him for a few moments and then said, "I think he's okay. I'll go outside so you two can talk. If you need me, just yell."

Vala sat down on the couch at his side and took his hand. "Darling, it's over. They checked everything you own... all the artifacts, your clothing, every single thing you have, including the kitchen things. No room was left unsearched. It's all gone. This place is clean. Carolyn even checked you again just to make sure. Nothing out of the ordinary showed up."

Daniel laid still and just listened while watching her face. Then he carefully drew her down and she laid on his right side and held him.

"Darling, talk to me."

He didn't say anything for a while and then when he did, it was with deep emotion. "I feel like I've been violated. They've been invading my life all this time. My most personal moments..."

"I know, Dear. It's awful."

They were quiet for a few minutes and then he said, "Jack's going hunting, isn't he?"

"I think so. They might already have a team up there. But, they might never find the bear, Daniel."

He reached over, picked up the listening device and looked at it thoughtfully.

"I'm going with him."

The End


End file.
